


A Wedding

by TheHuntress25



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Gen, Humor, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-11 07:01:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7034827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHuntress25/pseuds/TheHuntress25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus Potter and his two best friends have a powerful bond but what happens at a wedding may change everything. They're known as Misfits for good reason but despite being social outcasts, their friendship is stronger than ever but Albus may soon discover that growing up may be his biggest adventure yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Wedding

Albus Severus Potter loathed weddings. The joyous occasions usually gave him nothing but dread and he found the entire affair to be nothing but a nightmare, especially since his Grandma Molly seemed to turn into an inhuman beast during the extravagant preparations. Each wedding in the Weasley family was large, wild and scheduled down to the last second. He had always found himself being more eager to leave than actually happy for the couple but today, his mood was made far worse than usual by his own misfortunes.

 

Albus was accustomed to misfortune, considering that he had the worst possible luck in the world but he felt that the universe was being extremely cruel today. Currently, he was stuffing himself into a set of dress robes that his mother had given him a few months ago. They were horribly out of fashion and had been a gift from one of their older relatives, who hadn't wanted to see her late son's clothing boxed away.

 

Although the gesture had been very kind, Albus thought that he would have rather have just paraded around the Burrow in his underwear than be seen in this itchy, ancient monstrosity. Dress robes were usually more elegant and tailored than this nowadays and while Albus didn't know very much about fashion (He sometimes read his sister's diary to know what was considered “cool” with younger kids), he was sure that the high collar would make him appear more like a lecherous vicar than a sporting young man.

 

A withered, half dead vicar.

 

Albus grimaced inwardly as he stared at his reflection, the robes had once been a very dashing blue but were now a rather pitiful shade of grey that reminded him of tears. “I'll be the one crying tonight for sure,” he muttered miserably.

 

He knew that he would never have the courage to tell either of his parents, especially his mother; that he would prefer to wear something else. Ginny Potter had been so overwhelmed by the gift (Out of politeness he was sure) that she would quickly refuse him and the fact that the old relative would be attending the wedding didn't exactly help matters.

 

“I don't want to appear rude and you're the only one that the robes seem to fit. Do me this one little favor all right, dear?” his mother had pleaded on the horrible day that she'd set the dress robes in his stiff arms. James had been roaring with laughter with Lily in the living room while their father had hidden quickly behind his Daily Prophet, “I promise that it won't be as bad as it seems. I'll have to air them out of course and the lace could use some re-stitching...”

 

Lace. Such a horrid, ugly word.

 

How was he going to be able to show his face to his cousins, let alone his best friend while strutting around in _lace_? Albus winced with despair and lifted one frayed sleeve as if he were willing to toss himself into a raging fire before giving it a careful sniff. Gagging, he quickly lowered his arm and tried not to burst into sobs, the robes had the nasty tang of age, coffee and what distinctly smelt like old lady perfume.

 

“I'm doomed.” Albus said firmly as he tried to smooth down his messy black hair, something that would have taken his mother nearly half an hour if he had still been a little kid. Their father had tried to tell her that there was no point when their hair had a life of its own but his mother had always been determined to make him look somewhat groomed, “I'm _really_ doomed.” He muttered as the locks sprang up crazily.

 

Bright green eyes stared back at him with enough pity to give a sinner pause and Albus bowed his head in defeat before starting on the old, ivory buttons. The wedding wouldn't be for another few hours but he already knew that he was going to be sweating profusely by the time it started, the material felt like a heavy woolen blanket and fell just below his ankles like a dress. Albus couldn't imagine how this had been fashionable back in the day and wondered when, if ever, someone had worn it with pride.

 

The high collar was beginning to droop and despite the fact that the lace had been restored to frilly, beautiful condition, it was itchy and driving him mad. “Merlin, if you get me out of this, I _swear_ that I'll behave.”

 

Silence.

 

“Bastard,” Albus gritted out furiously, feeling betrayed.

 

The prayer would have honestly meant nothing after all the crazy trouble that he had gotten into over the years. Albus sighed and allowed various memories to swarm his mind. When he had been eleven, he and his two friends, Lavender Patil and Scorpious Malfoy had practically destroyed the foundation of the Great Hall by releasing a horde of house-elves from the kitchen, almost gotten their Potions teacher sacked for being mistaken for a werewolf and nearly gotten killed in the Forbidden Forest.

 

Twice.

 

The three of them had also unveiled a creepy, dangerous sect of people bent on taking over the world that year but that miraculous discovery had been completely overshadowed by the trouble that they had caused in the process. They were regarded as walking disasters and his mouth tilted up with a faint grin as he recalled their humiliating nickname, “The Misfit Oddities”. Peeves the Poltergeist had been the one to start calling them that back then and it had seemed to stick, even after all these years and at sixteen, Albus figured that there weren't a lot of people who even knew what their actual names were.

 

The three of them were rarely apart, causing most of the teachers and students to treat them like they were either a horrible jinx or as one living entity. “Where are your shadows?” was something that Professor Longbottom liked to tease whenever Albus managed to walk into the greenhouses without them.

 

“We're not triplets or anything,” Albus would always reply, not unkindly.

 

“Really? I never guessed.” Professor Longbottom would joke.

 

Albus let out a quiet laugh as he reflected on the fact that the three of them shared a very deep, if not peculiar bond with one another. They were the two greatest friends that anyone could have ever asked for and despite the fact that none of them were popular or even well-liked by Gryffindor House, they had enough love between each other to have their own adventures.

 

Oh, the adventures weren't the sort that his parents and their friends had gotten into most. They had uncovered parts of Hogwarts that no one had seen in hundreds of years, swam with mermaids and spent more time in the Forbidden Forest with the centaurs than was wise. They had a rather unusual friendship with the creatures, who saw them as either pets or some kind of entertainment and Albus couldn't remember the last time he had spent a lot of time with his own House.

 

Most of their fellow Gryffindors were far more inclined to pretend that the three of them didn't exist and Albus knew that he hardly minded most of the time. It was only when some catastrophe broke out did he despise the fact that the three of them were usually the ones the blame was thrown at, especially when those incidents had nothing at all to do with them.

 

Albus could still remember the time when Carter Goyle had framed him for stealing a vial of Professor Zabini's Polyjuice Potion and the trouble that he had been dragged into. “I shouldn't be surprised that you were involved, Potter Jr. You and your little friends are always sneaking around where you don't belong,” the Potions master had drawled in his bland voice when he had spluttered a protest. Zabini detested the Misfits with a passion (Though he did show favoritism towards Lavender because she was actually excellent in Potions) and hardly wasted a moment to remind them, though Albus knew that they had earned his hatred during their first year at Hogwarts.

 

The memory made Albus frown in annoyance but he honestly wasn't sure what he would do without Scorpious and Lavender. They were more than just friends to him, he thought of them as a part of himself. It was an embarrassing thing to admit (Not to mention more than a little bizarre) but he had never allowed himself to reveal how much he cared about his two friends to anyone in his family, not even to his parents. Scorpious and Lavender had lifted him up from the darkest places over the years and he in turn had never abandoned them, though he knew that they were such a funny looking trio that many would have assumed that he would have long ago.

 

“Dobby, you're lucky that you don't have to wear clothes. I wish I could be naked all the time without people having something to say about it.” Albus complained to his owl, who was watching him with amusement from his cage.

 

Dobby hooted smugly in reply.

 

“You know, it's probably not a good thing to be talking to your owl like that, people already think that you're a little crazy.” James's deep voice had the force of a rogue Bludger and Albus turned around with a squeal, annoyed to see his older brother standing lazily in his bedroom. He was certain that he had locked the door but he wasn't at all surprised that his brother had managed to break in, he had an annoying habit of spying on him or stealing his Gobstone set when he wasn't home. Dobby hooted at him in greeting, earning a wry smile from his brother that made silly girls like Samantha Jordan and Sally Creevey giggle madly, “I've been living with you long enough to know that you _are_ crazy so I'm not really that surprised.” The seventeen year old drawled, smoothing a hand over his immaculate set of emerald green robes.

 

Albus thought that it was completely unfair that his older brother appeared as if he had just stepped out of a posh magazine while he looked like his diseased counterpart. James worked part-time for their Uncle George at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes so he had his own money to spend and he hadn't exactly been sympathetic with his plight, “Bugger off, James.” Albus snapped irritably as he tried not to tremor with embarrassment. He knew exactly how ridiculous he must have looked talking to his owl but his brother had caught him doing weirder things over the years, “I don't care if everyone at Hogwarts thinks that I'm crazy but if people knew how much of a bloody prat _you_ really are, you wouldn't be so popular you know.”

 

“I'm popular because of my undeniable charm and wit, baby brother.” James retorted with a helpless shrug that only made him look more like a prat, in Albus's opinion. The locks of his dark brown hair had been carefully tossed, combed and styled to give him an air of messy elegance that matched his careless and easy smile. He scowled irritably, wondering how many bottles of their mother's hair products he'd used this time to achieve such perfection, “if you weren't such a little weirdo, you probably would have a girlfriend by now.” The older boy taunted and Albus felt his cheeks turning a little red at that uncomfortable truth but he neglected to inform his brother that there weren't a lot of girls that would even come near him.

 

Albus had never been able to muster a lot of courage when it came to approaching girls and each time that he tried, he only ended up embarrassing himself. There was something about engaging a pretty girl in conversation that was far more terrifying than being burned alive, “Yeah, well, maybe I don't want a girlfriend.” His voice wasn't nearly as confident as he'd hoped and his brother's smile merely widened with a pitiful warmth that made his stomach knot. Dobby clicked his beak at him in a way that made him want to crawl underneath his bed, “whenever I go to Hogwarts, something bad _always_ happens and I don't know how many girls would be all right with hanging around someone like me.” He admitted uncomfortably, unsure whether or not it would always be like some kind of curse hanging over his messy black head.

 

James studied his face carefully for a moment or two before replying, his brown eyes dancing with both humor and what might have actually been concern. They were brothers but rarely allowed themselves to admit that they had anything in common, “Well, I can't blame them. You Misfits are always getting into some kind of trouble.” Albus shot him a glare. “You can barely walk down the corridor without something exploding or someone trying to kill you—remember that time when Scorpious got into that fight with Goyle and turned him into a _rat_?” his brother asked curiously, roaring with laughter at the memory. “The three of you do end up getting into a lot of trouble whenever you're together.” He pointed out shrewdly and he couldn't deny that it honestly felt that way. “You'll go down in history for destroying the Great Hall and blowing up everything you touch. I didn't think it was possible for three people to have that much bad luck,”

 

“To be fair, we sometimes just stumble on things that we shouldn't.” Albus defended hotly.

 

That had James snorting doubtfully. “Yeah, _sure_.”

 

“It's true!” Albus said awkwardly.

 

“What about that thing with the donkey?” James asked idly.

 

“ _That_ was not my idea!” Albus snapped, flushing.

 

“Or that time Scorpious got turned into a girl for a week...” James mused, grinning.

 

Albus choked on his laughter for a few minutes, unable to get the image of his grouchy friend with flowing blonde locks out of his mind. Admittedly, Scorpious had made a very pretty girl but he would never dare mention that to his face, “Oi, we're not supposed to talk about Scorpia anymore!” he cried loudly and James nearly burst with laughter. Rose had been experimenting with a few potions when Scorpious had accidentally mistook one for a love potion but it had only been after he had taken it that they'd realized the horrible consequences, “Zabini was going to leave him like that, you know but McGonagall made him create the antidote.” He had been extremely reluctant, “I was happy when Scorpia was gone though, she was a major drama queen.” The memory made him wince, “if you value your life, you'll never mention her again.”

 

James waved away the warning dismissively. Albus didn't point out that Scorpious had nearly dueled his older brother, Benjamin, when he had mentioned it during dinner one night. Benjamin Malfoy was nothing at all like his younger brother when it came to his temper, “I'm not afraid of that little prat, he can fire all the curses at me he likes and I'll _still_ laugh at him.” His brother retorted. Scorpious would have found the words to be nothing more than a challenge, “seriously, don't you think that you hang out with those two a little _too_ much? You're never going to be able to get a girlfriend if they're always stitched to your sides.”

 

“I don't care about getting a girlfriend,” Albus lied lamely.

 

James shot him a blank stare. “You think that I'll believe that?”

 

Albus groaned in humiliation as he thought of all his past failures with girls, most of them so terrible that he couldn't imagine going through it again without bursting into flames. He might as well become a monk and live out in the forest after all, “Girls think I'm a freak and are too afraid to be anywhere near me because they think I'm bad luck.” He answered miserably, head bowed low. James was far more popular with girls than he would ever be and although he was currently flitting around Diagon Alley looking for his next target, he had never had any trouble getting a date, “this is going to come as a surprise, James but I'm not like you.”

 

“ _That's_ for sure but Dad had the same problem but he still ended up marrying Mum, didn't he?” James pointed out with a weird little glimmer in his brown eyes. Albus knew very well that their parents had fallen in love during their sixth year at Hogwarts but he doubted if he would ever have that kind of luck, “all you have to do is find a girl that shares your interests, erm, no matter how _weird_ they might be.” His brother advised after an awkward pause, “but Scorpious doesn't count, even though I know you two really, _really_ love each other.” He teased with a wide grin, even going so far as to wink at him to emphasize his point.

 

Albus scowled, flushing. “It's not like that!”

 

James shot him a dull stare. “You expect me to believe that?”

 

“Do you have room in that swollen head to believe _anything_?” Albus retorted dryly.

 

“I think I've got a little room.” James replied confidently.

 

Albus rolled his eyes. “Scorpious and I aren't a couple, those are just rumors.”

 

The fact that Scorpious had become a notorious player since their fourth year wasn't enough to stop the ridiculous rumors, however and Albus thought it was rather irritating. There was no way in hell that he would ever consider dating Scorpious when he was such a terror, “Why not just go out with Lavvy?” James asked with a frown, apparently not interested in discussing the fact that he and his best friend, Mason Finnegan had fueled those rumors. “She's an excellent Quidditch player and I've seen her in a nice, tight dress a few times,” he waggled his eyebrows. “The girl might be weirder than you but she's got a figure to die for.”

 

“Don't talk about my friend like she's a piece of meat, James.” Albus said with a warning glance that only caused his brother to shrug his shoulders helplessly. Lavender Patil had never been considered a beauty until just the year before, when she had gone through a rather alarming growth spurt but the physical changes (And the attention from ravenous boys) had done nothing to taint the delightful creature that she was.

 

Albus had privately feared that she would drift away from them but he had been blessedly relieved when the girl had quite simply said. _“There's nowhere else I'd rather be,”_ with such earnestness that his heart had threatened to melt. Although he would never admit it, Scorpious had been afraid of losing her as well and treated her with far more care than he did any of his girlfriends but that wasn't something that they talked about much.

 

James was watching him patiently, his brows knitted together as if he were having difficulty weaving his thoughts together into a complete sentence. Dobby continued to hoot his own opinions during this silence but Albus paid him no mind, “I can't help noticing that she's got a nice set of...” he carefully caught himself and examined his nails absently. “Anyway, Lavvy's a friend of mine too and the best damn Chaser that we've had on the Gryffindor team in years, you're really being an idiot by not trying to take her out.” Albus opened his mouth to say something but his brother continued on in an airy sort of way, “it's obvious that she might still have a thing for you.” He hinted with a small grin as Albus felt his cheeks paling. Lavender had harbored a crush on him for a long time before finally giving up once she realized that he would never be able to feel the same.  
  


Albus felt his ears turning red. “She's like my sister.”

 

“Uh-huh,” James replied dryly.

 

“It's honestly none of your business anyway.” Albus muttered.

 

“I'm just saying that you might end up missing out on something if you don't at least _try_ to look at her as more than a sister. Lavender's a nice girl so you wouldn't really be going out with a hag or anything, even though I'm sure they wouldn't have you either,” James pointed out wryly. Albus rolled his eyes, he didn't feel comfortable having this sort of conversation with him. Lily usually had better advice about this sort of thing but their younger sister was still preparing for the wedding, he could hear her singing down the hall to an old Twisted Duo song, “but if you're so set on not dating Lavvy and giving _me_ that delicious little body then why not just try dating Rose's friend? You know the one...that mean looking Ravenclaw girl that's always glowering at you.”

 

Albus spluttered in revulsion. “Sue...you mean Sue _Corner_?”

 

James nodded, smirking. “Yeah, I think she's got the hots for you.”

 

“You're mental!” Albus cried.

 

“True, but she's not all that bad.” James pointed out with a laugh.

 

Albus frowned and folded his arms over his chest as if that would stop him from leaping at his brother and wringing his stupid neck. Sue Corner was Rose's best friend and although she was rather abrasive by nature, she seemed to despise him the most, “All that girl does is try to hex me and she's always got something nasty to say whenever we see each other at Hogwarts.” The little terror wasn't very fond of Scorpious either but she made sure to smother _him_ in all of her hatred and dismay. She was a complete nightmare, “Rose says that she's just shy around boys but I think that she's evil, she acts like I'm the worst person to be around!” he cried, furious. “I don't know what I've done to make her hate me so much.”

 

“She's in love with you and doesn't appreciate being kept waiting.” James replied with a hearty guffaw, amused by the look of horror that was flashing across his face. Albus grunted something in response and knew that if Rose had been around, she would have been very offended, “Corner's not really the _prettiest_ girl around but she's not a complete troll. You've just gotta be able to tweak her right and then she'll be all yours, you might be able to snatch her at the wedding tonight if you're lucky,” his brother said lightly, though it was obvious that he had never spent much time in Sue Corner's presence for long without withering on the spot. “I still say that you should go after Lavvy but I don't think Scorpious will have much to say about it,”

 

Albus hesitated, uneasy. “Is it that obvious?”

 

“Oh, it's obvious.” James replied with a pitying expression.

 

Scorpious would never be able to admit that he cared so much about Lavender but it had been clear to Albus for a very long time. Even though there were plenty of other girls, his friend treated her like she was some mystical creature he could never touch, “Look, I love Lavender but I don't think Scorpious knows that she's like a sister to me.” It wasn't exactly the sort of conversation that either of them would readily delve into and he was thankful that his friend didn't pry into his mind for answers, “James, it's none of your business but you might want to reign in your love matching abilities once we're at the Burrow.”

 

James snorted loudly. “Why the hell should I?”

 

“You do _not_ want to see Scorpious Malfoy angry, trust me,” Albus warned gravely.

 

“Are you scared that he'll break up with you?” James asked blandly.

 

Albus felt his patience nearly snap and he shot his brother an aggravated look that only made him raise his hands defensively. He ran his fingers through his black hair roughly, “James, just keep your mouth shut for a while and you won't need to worry about it, okay?” there must have been something in his tone because his brother's smile dimmed somewhat. The last thing anyone needed to see was Scorpious moping around hating the world, he did that enough already without anyone's help, “I don't know what's going to happen with Scorpious or Lavender but they don't need to be pushed into anything.” He didn't like the thought of watching his two best friends snogging or rolling around the grounds, “it'll be worse than watching Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill.”

 

“There's nothing worse than that—wait, Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey have the sort of affection that makes you wish you had never been born at all.” James made the sign of the cross and Albus burst out laughing, unable to help himself. Their relatives were rather...eccentric and the last time that Aunt Audrey had gotten a bit tipsy, she had forced their uncle to dance on top of the dinner table until Grandma Molly had shooed them out of the house. Uncle George and Aunt Angie were nearly as bad but they usually vanished sometime during the night to have their own little adventures and Albus shuddered at the thought, “anyway, I was only trying to help you out. I _promise_ that I won't say anything to your boyfriend about Lavender since you think the little prat might actually destroy us all tonight.”

 

Scorpious probably _did_ have the ability to destroy them all but Albus remained quiet, certain that a horde of demons were nowhere near as frightening. The last time the boy had gotten angry, the entire Charms room had been blown to bits and he was certain that pestering him would have the same sort of result—though he was sure that _he'd_ be the one blown to bits, “You talk big but you and Mason are pretty much a couple and everyone knows it.” He snapped back angrily and James roared with unabashed laughter. Gryffindor House was always getting points deducted because of some prank of theirs and he suspected that the two boys might actually be the same person, “and I'll have you know that Scorpious isn't exactly my type. He's too moody for my tastes,” he drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

 

James wiped at his eyes and opened his mouth as if he were going to say something to that before taking him in for the first time with an expression of pure horror and glee. The look was one that could have shamed a sinner, “ _Whoa_ , if you're lucky Albus, maybe some old crone will want to marry you!” he teased, roaring with laughter as his eyes lingered on the stiff collar and lace. Albus felt his face turning crimson and wanted nothing more than to burst into tears, “I didn't think it could look worse but I have to say, you look rather dashing.” His brother crowed loudly, trembling with laughter, “once Freddie gets a look at this, he'll have material to last for _years_!”

 

Albus stiffened with humiliation. “Shut up!”

 

“All hail Sir Vicar!” James chortled, bowing.

 

“ _Get out_!” Albus snapped furiously.

 

James mimicked a jaunty two step. “Not before you give me a little dance—”

 

Albus stomped over to his brother and was just about to shove him out of his room when their mother's furious voice rang from downstairs. Ginny Potter had been bustling around their small home like a madwoman for the past three hours preparing the wedding gifts, managing the four of them like a drill sergeant and cleaning up the house all at the same time, “ _James_! _Albus_!” The woman shouted and they both flinched visibly. Their mother was usually rather calm but she always grew a bit frazzled before a wedding, which was another reason why he dreaded them, “knock it off up there or I'll jinx your mouths shut. I want you downstairs in five minutes or I'll come up there and get you myself—it isn't funny, Harry!” she snapped warningly to their father, who barely managed to stifle his laughter.

 

Lily's piercing voice was still ringing from down the hall and Albus felt his ears beginning to bleed copiously. The pain was unbearable, “Merlin, Lily's singing gets worse every time she opens her mouth. Blast Molly for giving her those old Twisted Duo records,” James whispered, his eyes wide with despair. Twisted Duo was an old band that had been really popular a few years ago and their sister's voice rang out on a note that made glass shatter and he heard Dobby screech in flustered panic. “God, spare me this horror.” His older brother whined, “If Mum doesn't kill us first, we'll be dead from her singing before long.”

 

Albus couldn't help but agree, he would never be able to forgive Molly for giving the girl those records and dooming them all to such a dark fate. Their sister had been buried in her room for the past three hours applying make- up and doing other mysterious female things but he worried that a beast would greet them once she finally showed up, “I said _five_ minutes, boys not fifteen!” their mother called from downstairs, her voice a threatening hiss. Albus shivered with terror and James buried his face into his shoulder on a sob while he absently patted his head, “Lily is making a God awful racket again, I bet she didn't hear a word I just said!” they heard her say with clenched teeth, “for Merlin's _sake_ , we're going to be late if we don't hurry. Phlegm will never let me hear the end of it,” he heard her mutter angrily.

 

Aunt Fleur was one of their mother's least favorite people in the family and it had nothing at all to do with the fact that she was a bit haughty. Although Albus had never been able to understand it, their aunt had a bad habit of comparing her three children to everyone else's, “This isn't over, prat.” He warned darkly after shoving his snickering brother away. James punched him in the shoulder and swaggered out of the room as if he had saved the universe from some horrible catastrophe, “you remember what I said too! Do _not_ bother Scorpious about...about you-know-what!” he hissed in a carrying whisper before his brother could hop down the stairs.

 

James angled his head back at him innocently. “Don't bother Scorpious about Voldemort?”

 

“That's not what I mean! You _know_ what I mean!” Albus snarled, annoyed.

 

“What was that?” James asked playfully, pretending he hadn't heard.

 

Albus heaved a weary sigh. “Do not bother Scorpious about _you-know-what_!”

 

“Do not bother Scorpious with questions about your secret love affair? Got it.” James replied idly with a curt nod, giving him a thumbs up. Albus glowered at him and was tempted to give him a very hardy kick down the stairs but his brother was already descending, humming some merry tune under his breath. The wedding was going to be a complete nightmare and he felt like an idiot for even trying to control his brother, he would just have to keep a careful eye on his two friends tonight and he hoped that nothing went wrong, “Mum, did you know that Scorpious and Albus are thinking of running away together? You won't believe how shocked I was when he told me...” he heard his brother lie in a booming voice.

 

Their mother's response was stern but Albus didn't even bother gloating in childish revenge as he glanced down at his old robes with misery. Dobby hooted something at him that sounded a little reassuring but it didn't stop him from wanting to cry, “This is going to be a really rough night for me, Dobby.” He braced his hand on the door frame as if his strength were leaving him. The itchy high collar was making his skin burn and he could already feel beads of sweat beginning on his forehead, “I might not make it out of this one alive and if I don't come back, I want you to know that you were the best owl a bloke could hope for. I...I'm going to miss you buddy,” Lily's door opened down the hall but he hardly noticed as his mind began to swim with possible excuses to not attend the wedding.

 

“You shouldn't talk to your owl like that you know,” Lily's sweet voice suddenly piped as she materialized in front of him, her long red hair swaying over her shoulders like silk. Her steps had been so light that he hadn't heard her approach and even though it had taken her three hours to finally slither out of the depths of her bedroom, she looked very pretty in a simple gold dress. A thin diamond necklace glittered merrily at her throat, “people are going to get the wrong idea but _I'll_ still love you, even if you get put in St. Mungo's for being a crazy person with really bad taste in fashion,” the fifteen year old girl promised firmly, one manicured hand going to her chest as if she were willing to swear an oath to God.

 

Albus sniffled. “Thanks, Lily.”

 

Lily ran her twinkling brown eyes over him critically and he saw her lips twitching madly as if she were on the verge of roaring with laughter. Albus was extremely grateful when she managed to control herself, “Merlin, I didn't think that it would be possible but you look kind of like a naughty vicar in those old robes,” he bowed his head in shame and scratched menacingly at the lace adorning his steaming neck, tempted to rip it all off and burn the remains in the back garden. Nothing would make him happier, “did you know that?”

 

“Don't...remind me!” Albus rasped weakly, even going so far as to clutch his heart as his curious life flashed behind his eyes. Dobby screeched a sorrowful lament, “you have no idea how much of an idiot I'm going to look in front of everyone! Scorpious is going to tear me apart and once Teddy or Fred sees me, my whole life is over.” Considering that he had faced far more humiliating things in the past at Hogwarts, he shouldn't have been so distraught but there was nothing more terrible than being a victim of one of Teddy Lupin's long suffering jokes. “You remember what happened when Louis threw up on Grandpa Arthur at the _last_ wedding?”

 

Lily wrinkled her pert nose. “I...try not to.”

 

“It's going to be ten times worse!” Albus vowed.

 

Louis hadn't been able to show his face around the Burrow for months afterward and the fact that Grandpa Arthur had been laughing at the time would forever haunt him. Teddy Lupin had a small shrine in his flat dedicated to that one particular moment and Fred had sent the poor boy various vomit enhancing tonics for a month, “I don't think it's going to be _that_ bad, Albus.” Lily soothed worriedly as she ran a comforting hand down his arm. Dust sprinkled to the floor, “erm, well you know that Fred and Teddy will be too busy clenching their teeth to really care too much about anything else.” Albus could only hope that their equal hatred of the groom would spare him, “maybe they won't notice that you look like a horny old man.”

 

“A horny, _dead_ old man.” Albus added dully.

 

Lily giggled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “That's the spirit!”

 

Albus felt his lips threatening to turn up in a smile but before he could say anything, his sister leaned away and their mother's sharp voice rang in their ears. The sound was like a banshee striking hard against shards of uneven glass, “ _Lily_ , _Albus_ , get down here right now or we'll be late.” James mimicked her voice in the background and the sound of their father's laughter was quickly drowned out by the woman's impatience. “If we don't leave in the next fifteen minutes, I'll never be able to look at Phlegm in the face!” their mother cried.

 

“You're going to be just _fine_ , Albus. You worry too much about the little things,” Lily said wisely before heading towards the stairs like an elegant princess. He watched her long red hair dancing across her shoulders and wondered why he had never been blessed with so much optimism, “the wedding isn't about you anyway, it's about Roxanne and Benjamin so try not to be so glum.” His sister advised as she turned to stare at him before continuing her descent.

 

Their mother was still roaring. “Lily! Albus!”

 

“Mum, stop grouching!” Lily called back, her voice tinkling. “You're going to get wrinkles and then Aunt Fleur will _really_ have something to say!” she chastised, though their mother's sharp response only made him wince with sympathy.

 

Albus heaved a weary sigh and ran his fingers through his messy black hair one last time as he tried to dredge up a bit of happiness for his older cousin. Roxanne Weasley was one of the nicest people on the planet and even though he liked Benjamin Malfoy just fine, he would probably end up crying about the sorry state of his robes anyway despite his sister's advice, “I'll see you later, Dobby.” He gave the high necked collar one last look in the mirror before shuddering away from his reflection, his face a grim mask of determination. “The moment of my death is at hand and I don't think I'll make it back in one piece...” he said mournfully to his owl.

 

Dobby hooted a tragic farewell.

 

“Albus, don't make me come up there!” his mother growled.

 

The thought of pitching himself from his window briefly stirred in Albus's mind but he quickly banished the tempting urge and slipped out of his bedroom. Dobby would be fine for a few hours without him but he suspected that their old house-elf Kreacher would probably let him out after nightfall.

 

“I will not suffer the same fate as Louis Weasley.” Albus found himself chanting.

 

“I will _not_ suffer the same fate as Louis Weasley,” Albus continued to mutter as he headed downstairs like a meal before a hungry guest. “Merlin _please_ don't let me suffer the same fate as poor Louis Weasley.” He groaned.

 

“What are you muttering about over there?” Harry Potter asked curiously once Albus walked cautiously into the living room, ignoring the broad grin that was plastered on James's face. The fireplace looked like an ominous cavern to the underworld as Lily toyed with a strand of her hair nearby, ignoring their mother as she tried to smooth over an imaginary wrinkle on her dress. Albus regarded his father with a pitiful expression, thinking that he looked rather handsome in his silver dress robes before wishing he had taken the opportunity to toss himself out of the window, “it's not going to be _that_ terrible, at least, that's what I keep telling myself.” His father whispered once he wandered over to his side, thankful that he hadn't laughed at the sight of him.

 

“I _heard_ that Harry.” Albus heard his mother say with only the faintest of smiles as she looked each of them over critically, wincing only slightly at his bedraggled robes. The dark blue dress she wore fit her wonderfully and not even a stray hair was out of place, “Okay, we're all set but no mischief tonight you three.” She warned to her children but he couldn't help but feel as if she had unintentionally cursed them all.

 

This was a wedding.

 

He was a Misfit.

 

There was bound to be a disaster.

 

 


	2. A Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus suspects that Scorpious Malfoy is hiding something from him and he's worried that it might ruin their friendship with Lavender Patil.

There was a sea of red smothering the landscape and Albus thought that the Burrow was on fire before he realized that it was merely a large crowd of his relatives. The five of them had successfully (Albus had expected them to land unceremoniously in a heap somewhere) Apparated a fair distance away from his grandparent's old house and his stomach boiled like hot soup. He had never been fond of that form of transportation but his mother had changed her mind about using the Floo when it became clear that there would be far too many of their cousins coming through that way. It would be more than a little humiliating to be trapped inside of the chimney like a bunch of sardines and his father had suggested that they Apparate instead, giving him an apologetic look before they had clasped hands. Albus knew that he had to look awful and he placed a hand on his swirling stomach in an effort to soothe the icky feeling that was spreading through his system.

 

“You're looking a tad green, dear. Are you going to be all right?” his mother asked.

 

“I'll be okay,” Albus assured weakly.

 

“It'd be a shame if you ruined those robes,” James piped slyly.

 

Albus shot him a glare. “Shut up!”

 

“ _Boys_ ,” their mother interjected firmly.

 

James grinned widely and Albus wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face but he knew that it would do him little good. The damage had been done and he would probably be buried in these ratty old robes by the end of the day, “It's so crowded.” He heard their mother murmur after a moment as they all seemed to take in the giant mass of people milling about. Lily was looking around curiously at the ridiculous hats a few of the older women were wearing and their father appeared vastly amused by her poor attempts not to point. Albus watched a nervous frown spread over his mother's face and she smoothed an invisible wrinkle on her blue dress as if she expected Aunt Fleur to be lurking around the corner like a Boggart.

 

“Who _are_ all these people anyway?” James asked, glancing around.

 

Their father appeared confused. “I honestly have no idea.”

 

“I don't think I've seen so many of our relatives being in one place in a long time.” Their mother said, sounding baffled.

 

Albus found that to be simply untrue when the last wedding had nearly lasted several days due to the fact that there had been so many of their relatives demanding that they be treated with “extra” care and camping on the grounds. The Burrow would be swarming with guests for the next few hours and Albus cringed at the thought of being surrounded by people looking like a dead vicar. It was already bad enough that Scorpious would see him dressed like this and he could only imagine the jokes that Teddy and Fred would come up with when they saw him today.

 

“Bloody hell.” Albus whispered, struck speechless over how different everything appeared.

 

The Burrow had always been quaint and charming but he was stunned to see how much had been altered and cleared away to make the area more suitable for the wedding. Albus felt his jaw fall open at the changes, the surrounding land was unrecognizable. Thousands of pale silk ribbons hung loosely in the trees and in the distance, a monstrous silver tent dominated the a majority of the land like some kind of mystical palace from a forgotten dynasty.

 

 _I look like I'm going to a funeral! There's no way that I can show my face in that thing!_ Albus thought wildly.

 

Albus had never seen anything so beautiful and he felt like some kind of monster in his tattered dress robes, inwardly cringing as he watched a group of white gloved staff help a family to their seats. This wedding would be more crowded than the time he and his friends had gotten stuck in a broom cupboard during their fourth year. “Merlin, Uncle Percy outdid himself this time.” James commented wryly as he sidled up beside him, their eyes taking in the magnificent tent that glittered obnoxiously back at them like a massive diamond. Their uncle was Undersecretary to the Minister but he doubted that it had been easy to organize and construct a tent that could rival a Quidditch field, “I don't know how he managed to do this but no _wonder_ Gran was acting crazy.”

 

Albus could only nod mutely in agreement, Uncle Percy had been left to organize the entertainment and decorations but he felt that it may have been a mistake. Although the tent was set a fair distance away from the house, it was almost sickeningly grand and he was reminded of posh mansions that he had seen in Muggle magazines. He couldn't help but think that it clashed almost painfully with the misshapen house that their grandparent's had lived in for so many years, “Ooh, are those fireworks?” Lily asked in girlish amazement, sounding simply delighted as she walked away from their baffled parents.

 

“Don't be silly, Lily—” James huffed.

 

There was a faint explosion in the sky just then and he glanced up to see bits of confetti and flower petals float to the ground and settle on the startled guests like snowflakes. “That's _so_ cool! Uncle George told me that there are going to be acrobats tonight!” Lily squealed, hopping excitedly in place and earning a chuckle from their father.

 

“Uncle George told me there were going to be dragons!” James complained, disappointed.

 

Lily balked. “That would be _awful_!”

 

“Better than acrobats!” James huffed, looking annoyed.

 

Albus would rather have the dragons. “Why would you believe anything Uncle George says?”

 

Lily was still bouncing happily. “Because he's so _amazing_ , that's why!”

 

“That's true but he has a bad habit of lying,” Albus pointed out dryly, recalling the time when their silly uncle had told them trolls had invaded the joke shop. He had been upset to hear this sort of news but had eventually learned that Uncle George had merely been experimenting with a new potion when it had exploded and nearly destroyed the entire block. “Lily, there aren't going to be acrobats,” he didn't sound all too sure though.

 

“Why not?” Lily demanded.

 

James folded his arms. “It would be _way_ too expensive, Lils.”

 

That behemoth tent alone must have cost a small fortune but Albus was more than sure that there was probably something equally outlandish planned for the reception. He glanced at his two siblings and found himself saying with a grumble, “Uncle George loves playing tricks on us and he's always trying to get a rise out of Uncle Percy.” They were always trying to outdo one another when it came to family gatherings and he hoped that Uncle Percy wouldn't surprise them all with dancing pink elephants like he had at his parent's anniversary a few years ago. The mess had been unbelievable, “do you remember when Uncle George told us that we couldn't go swimming on a full moon because the mermaids would eat us?”

 

Lily's brown eyes grew wide with alarm. “But _that's_ true!”

 

“It is not!” Albus snapped.

 

“They will attack you though, Louis said it happened!” Lily defended hotly.

 

James roared with laughter. “Uncle Bill _did_ get poked in the eye with a trident once,”

 

“He didn't lose it though,” Albus pointed out.

 

Lily huffed. “Louis said he _could_ have,”

 

Louis Weasley was far more concerned with the lives of magical creatures than he was with humans and Albus doubted if he had had much sympathy for his father. Uncle Bill was very strict towards his only son and they didn't have the best relationship, “I'm not sure if there are going to be acrobats tonight but we should let Molly and Arthur know that we're finally here.” Their father suddenly said, interrupting their argument before it could continue.

 

Albus tugged irritably at the high collar of his dress robes. “Yeah, I guess.”

 

James reached out to toy with the lace along his throat and he swatted him away furiously, their father heaving a weary sigh as he watched them. “We had better get moving, I don't want to have your grandmother swoop down on me and and _drag_ me to my chair.” Their father said with a shudder, recalling the last wedding. Albus saw his mother stifle a guilty laugh, “people underestimate how strong she is you know.”

 

“I think she's probably too busy bossing everyone _else_ around right now,” James said hopefully.

 

Albus shifted awkwardly and fought the urge to strip and face the world naked, the dress robes were beginning to cling to his skin. The unholy stench of old lady perfume would be seeped into his pores before the night was over and he dreaded spending the entire day being baked alive, “I'm seeing a lot of new faces in the crowd, I don't even think we're related to half of them.” Their mother murmured as they watched a few families with noticeably sneaky grins walk past them.

 

“Amateurs,” James muttered.

 

Weasley weddings were usually a very festive event but Albus got a strange feeling in his stomach that reminded him far too much of constipation. His mother appeared somewhat anxious as she ran her eyes around, perhaps searching for familiar faces,“Mum was up for weeks trying to get the invitations ready but I don't think she expected so many people to show up.” Albus highly doubted if their grandmother had been unable to contain her joy and was certain that she had let everyone in the entire country know that one of her eldest grandchildren was finally getting married. She had hardly stopped gushing about it since Roxanne and Benjamin had given them all the news a few months ago, “I don't think she's been this bad since Bill and Fleur's wedding.” She finished, shuddering.

 

“Don't remind me,” their father said, paling.

 

Lily giggled. “Uncle Percy made everything really pretty though,”

 

“How much do you think that tent cost?” their mother asked worriedly.

 

Albus watched his father shrug helplessly. “It's best not to ask,”

 

“He hasn't done anything this outrageous since he married Audrey,” their mother remarked, amused.

 

Albus heard that it had lasted for days. “Didn't Aunt Audrey get arrested?”

 

“That was _after_ the wedding, dear.” His mother corrected.

 

Aunt Audrey had been a stripper in London when she had met Uncle Percy and Albus supposed that she had never really gotten the wild streak out of her system. He was sure that his uncle wouldn't have had her any other way, “Where do you suppose everyone is?” James asked curiously, looking around for familiar faces. Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill lived a few miles away from Uncle Percy's cottage and he suspected that they may have already been here but he wasn't exactly thrilled about seeing his mother and aunt hiss at one another.

 

“They're probably already seated.” Their mother replied, tapping her foot.

 

Albus was unsure if Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron had arrived yet, they both despised weddings with a passion. James poked Lily absently before saying happily, “I don't even see Teddy or Fred lurking around.” He sent Albus a grin that made him scowl. Their parents glanced at one another worriedly, an unspoken conversation going between them, “I know they hate Benjamin but even they wouldn't do something stupid on Roxie's _wedding_.”

 

Albus had never quite understood why Teddy and Fred hated Benjamin so much but he wondered if it had more to do with his family name. The Malfoy's were still infamous in the Wizarding world and he knew that half of their relatives were probably only attending the wedding because they were eager to say that they had seen Draco Malfoy in the flesh. He had met the man more than once and although he wasn't exactly the warmest person, he was quite nice once you got to know him but he didn't think that many people gave him that chance.

 

“It would be really stupid of _both_ of them if they ruined Roxanne's big day.” Their mother commented with an anxious frown, her brows coming together. Lily appeared very worried but James was wearing one of those annoying grins on his face again, “if I see either of them, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind.” Albus didn't think that anyone would be able to talk some sense into Teddy Lupin besides Aunt Angie, who had practically raised him but that didn't mean that his mother's wrath would be any kinder.

 

“They're just overprotective, they love Roxie very much.” Lily reassured.

 

“Love makes people do harmful things,” their father replied carefully.

 

Lily frowned, looking resolute. “Then it's not real if that's the case,”

 

Albus felt a shiver go down his spine at the words and he was unsure why they made him think about his two friends. Scorpious would never hurt Lavender but he wondered if not telling the girl how he felt was just as painful, “When did you get so wise?” their father teased and Lily blushed with pleasure. He reached out to pinch her cheek before motioning for them to continue their journey, the five of them nearly being swallowed up by the crushing wave of their relatives.

 

Albus was really looking forward to getting out of the heat, he felt like a baked potato and the high, lacy collar was making him itch. He scratched at it furiously, ignoring the wide smirk that James sent his way, knowing that he looked like quite the fool already, “Figures.” He muttered moodily under his breath.

 

“You should try to make the best of the situation, Albus.” His father whispered and Albus shot him a withering look, “your cousin is getting married and from the looks of things, it's going to be a wedding to remember.”

 

“I'd _rather_ forget being in these itchy, damn—”

 

“Watch your mouth.” His father warned, laughing.

 

Albus sighed miserably. “Why do these things always happen to me?”

 

“It's because you're a Misfit.” A familiar voice taunted and he jerked to a sudden halt as a figure started towards them, recognizing Scorpious Malfoy's confident stride. He seemed to have materialized out of nowhere and Albus brightened at the sight of him, though he was annoyed to see that he was dressed in a set of simple black robes that put his to shame. Lily giggled but James's grin had spread so wide that he looked almost ghoulish, “I've been looking all over for you, I had something I wanted to—what the _hell_ are you wearing?” he asked abruptly, causing a few stuffy old men nearby to frown.

 

James roared with laughter.

 

Albus felt his face burning as Scorpious looked more repulsed than amused. “I didn't know we were going to be burying anyone today.”

 

“Shut up!” Albus cried, humiliated.

 

“When is the funeral?” Scorpious asked, grinning.

 

“Noon,” James supplied helpfully.

 

Scorpious snorted with laughter as he wandered over to them. “I think I can make it in time,”

 

Albus wanted to cast them both into the abyss but his father stepped in with a stern expression that he only saw on very rare occasions. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder that quelled the anger that was boiling in his gut, “That's enough, boys.” Harry Potter commanded and he was relieved to see Scorpious and James wilt underneath his tone.

 

Parents had some kind of magic over children that had nothing at all to do with being an accomplished witch or wizard. “It's good to see you, Scorpious. How are you?” Albus's father asked politely. His friend admired his father very much and his pale cheeks were a bit pink as he shot him an apologetic look that only made him grunt his acceptance, “are your parents and sister here as well?” Albus was looking forward to seeing Ms. Parkinson and Mr. Malfoy but he wasn't exactly thrilled to be around his younger sister, Emily. “It would be nice to see them.”

 

Scorpious hesitated for a moment or two and Albus ran his eyes over him curiously, detecting that he was more than a little nervous. They were nearly the same height but his friend had a few inches over him and although his mother didn't approve, his shaggy blonde hair was overlong and contained today in a leather strap that made him look like a dashing young pirate. He would have resembled his father almost completely if it weren't for the long, hideous scar that went diagonally from his right eye and ended at his jaw like a grisly smile.

 

“I'm doing all right but I decided to show up a little early because there was a disagreement back home.” Scorpious finally replied, looking incredibly awkward. Albus wondered what was going on back at Malfoy Manor, his parents had divorced years ago and his father had remarried but he didn't think that his friend's nervousness had much to do with that today, “I think they'll be here in an hour though, they'll be happy to see you.”

 

Mr. Malfoy wouldn't necessarily be _thrilled_ about it but that wasn't a surprise, considering that he and Albus's father had despised one another for most of their time together back at school. Lily looked disappointed, she really liked Emily for some reason and they got along very well, “I'm sure that they wouldn't miss this for the world.” Albus's father replied, appearing puzzled. Scorpious's nerves were clearly noticeable but he shot the boy a reassuring smile that instantly made him relax for a few brief moments, “you look as if something is bothering you, Scorpious.”

 

James was rudely staring at his scar and Albus punched him in the arm until he stopped, they all knew where it had come from but it didn't give anyone the right to gawp. Scorpious wasn't very self-conscious but he would never admit that it bothered him when people asked about how he had been cursed with it. Albus knew that that was a night that none of them wanted to remember but it would always be there in the back of their minds, “Uhm, I'm fine, nothing is going on.” The boy assured unconvincingly.

 

“I hope everyone is all right back home.” Their father said carefully as the boy practically vibrated with anxiety.

 

“Everything is...fine.” Scorpious muttered lamely.

 

“Are you sure?” Albus asked, frowning.

 

Scorpious's grey eyes flashed with anger. “Yeah, I'm sure.”

 

Lily reached out to pat his arm. “There, there.”

 

“I'm not a dog!” Scorpious growled, pinching her.

 

“You two having relationship problems?” James asked dryly.

 

“James,” their father warned.

 

Albus stared at Scorpious in obvious disbelief but decided that it wouldn't be best to pressure him into talking about it in front of his parents and siblings. Scorpious had trouble expressing himself enough as it was and he didn't trust many people with his secrets, “If you say that everything is all right, then we'll just have to believe you but I hope you know that you can always come to us if you need to talk.” He heard his mother say soothingly.

 

It had taken her a while to warm up to his friend but he had somehow been able to earn her trust despite the fact that she had initially thought of him as a bad influence. After their disastrous first year together, she had even tried to keep them separated. His father and Mr. Malfoy had intervened when it became clear that their happiness mattered more than anything, which would be something that Albus would always be grateful for.

 

“Thanks, Mrs. Potter.” Scorpious said, drawing him out of his thoughts.

 

Albus's mother smiled in relief. “Where were you headed? I'm pretty sure that your family has special seats inside.” She gestured happily towards that obnoxious tent. “I hope that this won't be overwhelming for you.”

 

“There aren't many weddings in my family,” Scorpious admitted.

 

James seemed genuinely perplexed. “Why not?”

 

Scorpious's eyes narrowed slightly. “We're not exactly everyone's top pick,”

 

“But you're so lovely,” Lily piped sincerely.

 

“Lily!” James chastised, having the nerve to appear embarrassed.

 

Scorpious smiled fondly. “You remind me a lot of Lavender,”

 

Lily beamed, blushing. “Thank you!”

 

“I _thought_ something was off, where is Lavvy?” James demanded slyly.

 

Albus shot him a warning look. “Oi—”

 

“How should I know?” Scorpious asked hastily.

 

The anxious expression on his face caused Albus's suspicions to rise and he shot his brother a dark look before he could say anything more. Lavender was made from pure starlight and he couldn't imagine the two of them fighting but sensed that something might be wrong, “I know that she sent me an owl saying that her sisters would be coming and that they'd be staying for a few days.”

 

Lavender had five older sisters and he knew that she was probably miserable being stuck at home with them, they were very loud and treated her like a baby. It didn't help that their mother tended to forget that Lavender existed when they _weren't_ there and he could only imagine what she was going through now.

 

“Yeah, I know about that.” Scorpious muttered.

 

Albus frowned. “I got that letter a few days ago, you haven't heard from her?”

 

Scorpious's face paled. “Not since last week when she stopped by the Manor,”

 

“She visited you _alone_?” Lily asked, sounding scandalized.

 

“Malfoy, you dog.” James crowed, nudging him in the arm.

 

Scorpious smacked him away, grumbling. “It wasn't like that, she was helping me study.”

 

Albus was annoyed that no one had invited him to Malfoy Manor for an impromptu study session that he desperately needed. Lavender was not only the most wonderful person in the world but she was also incredibly smart and one of the brightest girls in their year next to Rose and the awful Sue Corner from Ravenclaw, “Stop teasing him, James.” Their mother commanded as James swooned and made a grand show out of pinching Scorpious's pale cheek. Albus had to stop his friend from punching him and their father tugged on his brother's ear until he turned red, “it's none of our business. Friends get into fights sometimes and there's nothing unusual about that, only it's very rare for the three of you to argue when you're always together.”

 

Albus felt his face burning but Scorpious looked especially guilty and he wondered what he was hiding from him and what it had to do with Lavender. “I'm pretty sure that you all will sort things out but it's honestly strange not to see Lavender with you right now, you two seem incomplete without her.” His father commented wryly.

 

“Dad!” Albus cried, embarrassed.

 

Scorpious shifted awkwardly and Albus could hear his heart pounding even though they were nearly drowned by laughter, conversation and fireworks. What was going on? He knew that his friend had strong feelings for Lavender but it was obvious that whatever happened between them at the Manor (He refused to think that anything naughty had transpired) had been pretty bad if he were acting so shifty.

 

“If you two _have_ had a fight, it's best to apologize now or else Lavender might send a flock of birds after you when you least expect it.” His father warned and his mother laughed. Lily looked horrified but James appeared far too delighted at the idea, “I've seen how awful it can be and you don't want to ruin those nice robes by being pecked to death by canaries.” Lavender was very good at magic but she would probably conjure a flock of demonic bunnies to eat Scorpious if she were angry enough and he shuddered at how cute they would be.

 

“We _haven't_ gotten into a fight!” Scorpious insisted hotly.

 

“You'll be fine,” Albus's mother soothed gently.

 

His father added heavily. “Try to be nice, even when you don't mean it.”

 

“Harry!” his mother snapped, swatting him playfully.

 

“But—” Scorpious spluttered, flushing.

 

Albus shot him a helpless look. “Sorry,” he muttered.

 

“You're a load of help,” Scorpious snarled under his breath.

 

“ _Did_ you fight with Lavender?” Albus asked, annoyed.

 

Scorpious's grey eyes shifted away from him. “Not exactly...”

 

What the hell did that mean?

 

“Harry, I think we had better find our seats.” His mother suddenly announced with a curse, motioning for her husband to check the time. Albus saw his father wince before glancing down at his watch with raised black brows, “if we don't get down there in the next few minutes, I don't think my mother will ever forgive us and I am _not_ going to give Phlegm any reason to gloat today.” She said, causing Lily to frown.

 

Grandma Molly would eat them alive if they ruined her schedule but Albus wasn't really in the mood to be surrounded by unfamiliar faces in ugly old robes. He thought about stripping and using the last of his allowance to buy a life but he didn't think those were sold in any store, “Unsurprisingly, Fleur was being an insufferable _cow_ the other night while she bragged about something or other and I don't think it would be wise to leave her alone with my mother for too long.” His mother was saying with a sharp scowl, “she's probably insulted every member of the family by now.”

 

“Ginny, you're overreacting.” His father said softly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

Albus watched his mother heave a weary sigh. “Do you remember what she said at the _last_ wedding?”

 

“I can't believe there's more of you?” His father replied, adopting his aunt's tinkling voice.

 

“ _That_ is what I'm worried about,” Albus's mother groaned.

 

Albus thought that Aunt Fleur was pretty haughty but he had a feeling that she had probably had a little too much to drink. He wasn't very close to his aunt and she was decent enough most of the time but it was clear that she didn't exactly love _all_ of the Weasley's, “I think we had better get moving then if you're that worried about it.” His father said, ignoring her fierce look. Grandma Molly was capable of handling Aunt Fleur's attitude but he knew that his mother just wanted an opportunity to hiss at her a little. “James, I expect you to be on your best behavior today and it would make my life easier if you tried _not_ to blow something up when Mason Finnegan arrives.”

 

“You're no fun, Dad.” James whined.

 

“ _James_ ,” their mother interrupted gravely.

 

James shrugged helplessly. “I can't stop things once they're already in motion, Mum.”

 

“Merlin have mercy,” their father muttered, looking defeated.

 

James roared with laughter. “That's cute,”

 

“I'm _not_ letting you out of my sight today,” their mother vowed and he sent her a pitying glance.

 

Albus saw his father desperately trying to hold in his laughter. “Ginny, we'd better get going.”

 

“Could I talk to Albus for a few minutes, Mrs. Potter?” Scorpious asked sweetly, reeking charm.

 

Lily sighed dreamily.

 

Albus saw his mother falter before saying sternly. “I'm not sure if that would be a good idea,”

 

Scorpious's grey eyes became round and pitiful. “ _Please_? I won't take long, promise.”

 

Albus's mother had a weakness for puppy dog eyes and he watched in amusement as she crossed her arms in an effort to appear stern. The action eerily caused her to resemble his grandmother and he had to bite back a horrified scream, “Oh, knock it off.” She said with a fond laugh and Scorpious appeared quite pleased with himself. Lily was watching him with big doe eyes but James was rolling his as if he could have done a much better job at manipulating their mother, “he _can't_ be late and the two of you had _better_ stay out of trouble.” She warned as she forced Albus to stand in front of her as she fixed the lace along his collar, adding to his demise.

 

Lily sent him a supportive smile but James was snickering into his fist and Scorpious's lips twitched dangerously. His mother didn't seem to notice as she fussed, “Try not to move around too much, okay?” Albus grunted a suitable response. “I don't want these robes ripping and before we leave today, I want you to thank that woman for giving these to you.”

 

“ _W-what_?” Albus spluttered.

 

His mother stared up at him sharply. “It would be rude _not_ to, Albus.”

 

“I didn't ask for these!” Albus cried.

 

“That hardly matters—”

 

Albus felt his face burning. “These robes are itchy and _smelly_ —”

 

“Don't forget the lace,” James added happily.

 

Their mother reduced him to infancy with just one look. “Albus Severus,”

 

Albus recoiled. “ _Fine_ , Mum.”

 

“All right then. We'd better be on our way,” his mother said, satisfied.

 

“I'll look after him, Mrs. Potter.” Scorpious simpered.

 

Albus glowered at him. “Shut up!”

 

“Now, now.” His mother laughed, shaking her head.

 

Albus allowed her to gently kiss his cheek before finally releasing him but he could have sworn that his father shot him a sympathetic look over his shoulder. Lily hugged him, waved shyly at Scorpious and followed after their parents as they melted into the crowd, “I have a feeling that this wedding is going to be _a lot_ more entertaining than I thought.” James commented impishly as he stood with the two of them with his trademark grin. Albus knew that he was up to no good and wanted their mother to march back over and drag him by the ear but their family was already gone, “so, Scorpious did you bring a date?” his brother asked lightly, his brown eyes twinkling.

 

“A date?” Scorpious asked, baffled.

 

“You can't always rely so much on my little brother to give you affection, there are plenty of lovely ladies out here.” James said this just as a small parade of withered old crones walked by, “but maybe you'll be able to find someone before the day is over—”

 

“The hell are you talking about?” Scorpious demanded, irritated.

 

James shrugged carelessly. “Nothing, just wondering if you have anyone _special_.”

 

Albus frowned. “Shut up, James.”

 

Scorpious's brow quirked. “I have your brother, I don't need anyone special.”

 

“Don't be a git!” Albus snarled, punching his arm.

 

“So, no date?” James asked with a curious glint in his eye.

 

Scorpious's face darkened. “No, not like it's any of your damned business anyway.”

 

“ _Easy_ , Malfoy,” James replied, hands raised defensively.

 

Albus could smell a fight brimming. “Bugger off, James.”

 

James opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but he took in the expression on his face and sighed with disappointment. Albus didn't think think that it would be appropriate for Scorpious to go on a rage and destroy the entire land just because his stupid brother couldn't keep his mouth shut, “Fine, I'll see you two losers later.” His brother muttered as he stuffed his hands into his robe pockets before turning away from them. He had a lot of nerve pretending that his feelings were hurt, Albus thought but he sensed that he would have some form of revenge before the night was over and it was clear that he had had something planned with Mason Finnegan anyway.

 

Albus felt something sick and nasty settle into his stomach like the time he had accidentally eaten a bar of Sir Farts A lot from Uncle George's joke shop. The result would probably be just as humiliating but he was thankful that Scorpious appeared more confused than anything. “Don't do anything stupid today!” he snapped annoyingly.

 

James pretended not to hear. “Try not to miss your chance to fall in love today!” his brother shouted loudly.

 

“What's his issue?” Scorpious asked annoyingly.

 

Albus hesitated for a moment. “Nothing, you know how much of a prat he is.”

 

Scorpious shot him a curious stare. “Why's he bringing up true love and dates?”

 

“Maybe because he has neither?” Albus suggested, grinning.

 

Scorpious snorted wryly. “He does all right, even though he's a git.”

 

Albus hated that that was true. “Some people have all the luck, I guess.”

 

“Speaking of, what's up with these _robes_?” Scorpious demanded, fingering the lacy collar.

 

Albus swatted him away. “A relative gave them to my mum and for some reason, _I_ have to wear them!”

 

“They smell like death,” Scorpious remarked, reeling away.

 

“It's old lady perfume,” Albus corrected stiffly.

 

Scorpious's response was flat. “What's the difference?”

 

Albus couldn't stop himself from laughing and punched him in the arm, earning a grin that stretched the scar along his face like a knife. Scorpious no longer felt any pain from the wound but he knew that the memories were more harmful than anything, “So, what did you want to talk to me about anyway?” he was relieved that his parents and siblings were no longer within earshot. It was difficult enough to get his friend to open up without them hanging on to their every word and he frowned as he remembered how long it had taken for them to allow most of their barriers to fall away, “is there something going on back home with your parents or something?”

 

Mr. Malfoy and Scorpious's mother, Ms. Parkinson could hardly stand being in the same room with one another. The forced smiles and icy politeness that they treated one another with could make an entire room feel numb, “Why did you decide to come here by yourself?” Albus pressed gently when it was clear that his friend was unsure about his answer.

 

Scorpious's lips twisted slightly and he looked unsure of how to reply but it was clear that he had been holding in his emotions for too long. There was a frenzied quality to his grey eyes that Albus had never seen before, “My parents had an argument today about the wedding.” He opened his mouth to say something but his friend raised a hand to stop him from interrupting, “don't get me wrong, they love Roxanne but they had a huge fight over how many of our family members would be attending.” His voice took on a note of bitterness that was chilling, “my grandparents have never supported the match because of some old grudge they have against the Weasley's but at the last minute, they decided that they wanted to come.” His face twisted with disapproval.

 

“Why?” Albus asked warily.

 

“I have no idea.” Scorpious replied with a frown. “My dad is trying to be understanding but when my mum found out, she came to the Manor to talk about it because we all know that my granddad in particular is a little....”

 

 _Insane?_ Albus thought bleakly.

 

Lucius Malfoy had suffered curse damage during the Battle of Hogwarts but had regained enough of himself to become nearly whole again. Albus had met him once and could still feel the burn of his grey eyes sinking into his soul like snake venom, “Dad thinks that it would be good for him to be around a different sort of people.” Scorpious said after a moment, his eyes dark. Lucius Malfoy still had a small group of friends that worshiped Voldemort's beliefs and had even had it in their minds that his friend was something like a “prince” that would rise up and lead all purebloods back to glory. It had been complete nonsense of course but that thinking hadn't stopped a crazy cult from almost sacrificing him and using his blood for dark magic.

 

“Granddad is _crazy_. He's never been happy about Benjamin dating Roxanne....he doesn't think she's good enough for him.” Scorpious sounded embarrassed and Albus couldn't really blame him for being so upset. “Mum doesn't think that he should be allowed to come to the wedding but Dad insisted and they got into a _huge_ row.”

 

“...What did they decide to do?” Albus asked hesitantly.

 

“I never found out, I just Disapparated here.” Scorpious muttered.

 

Albus was silent for a short moment. “Do you think your grandparents will show up?”

 

Scorpious looked grim. “I hope not but—”

 

“Hello, boys.”

 

The dreariness of the conversation abruptly ended at the sound of that familiar voice and Albus felt his face brightening with a smile. Scorpious's entire body stiffened as they turned to see their best friend Lavender Patil making her way towards them and Albus was annoyed to see that a few rowdy boys were ogling her discreetly as she passed. She looked radiant in a simple white dress and silver heels, her black hair twisted up in curls and held together by a large diamond barrette that made her appear like a heavenly princess.

 

It almost hurt to look at her directly but he was overwhelmed by how happy he was to see her and his chest flooded with joy. “Lav, how are you?!” Albus cried cheerfully as he crossed the space between them and enveloped her in a warm hug. Scorpious's heavy steps followed and he could feel his glare ripping him to shreds as the girl returned his embrace, “why haven't I heard from you? I only got the one owl a few days ago.”

 

Lavender smelt like sunshine and happy things but there was a solid quality to her voice that made him feel centered and whole. Albus released her and was rewarded with a warm smile, “I'm really sorry about that, I meant to write you much more this summer.” Scorpious was glancing between them with a frown but his eyes turned wistful as they lingered on her. It was worse than watching Aunt Angie and Uncle George making googly eyes at one another over the supper table and he managed to suppress a shudder, “the house has been so busy lately with all of my noisy sisters visiting, I barely have any time to myself.” Her dark brown eyes rolled heavenward.

 

“What have you been up to?” Albus asked curiously.

 

Lavender's eyes sparkled with excitement and Scorpious watched her with such longing that it actually made Albus feel like he had stepped on his heart. “I've been doing a lot of research on the true nature of Wendigo's, I believe that they're _very_ misunderstood creatures.” One manicured hand flew to her heart as if she were deeply aggrieved and Albus bit down a laugh. “They only eat people that stumble upon their dens but I haven't found much evidence to support this,” the girl said passionately but Albus's face had paled.

 

“Why am I not surprised?” Albus asked, sighing.

 

Lavender had an unhealthy love for dangerous beasts and it wasn't uncommon to find her in the middle of some crazy scheme to domesticate them. At some point, she had even owned a man-eating chipmunk named Bubba that had gone on a blood thirsty rampage in Gryffindor House before someone's cat had eaten him. Albus had to admit that she was the weirdest out of the three of them and he felt his lips tilt with a smile as the girl explained, “I never got around to finishing my research because my sisters kept asking about silly things like boys and why I haven't really started dating.” There was a brief pause that was hard to miss, “but that's none of their business.”

 

Scorpious's face heated with guilty color.

 

Albus quirked a brow at him. “You all right?”

 

“I'm fine, stop bugging me.” Scorpious muttered.

 

“You look like you're hyperventilating,” Albus said dryly.

 

Scorpious's eyes ran over Lavender. “Then let me!”

 

Lavender's brown cheeks turned faintly pink and Albus wondered why it felt like he had just walked in on his parents snogging. An awkward silence fell between the three of them before the girl suddenly smiled, rocking back on her heels as if she were about to take off, “I really like all the decorations that your funny uncle set up, Albus.” She declared, sounding impressed. Albus thought everything was too gaudy but he returned her warm smile, which earned him a sour glance from Scorpious, “I can only _imagine_ how long this took to organize.”

 

“I just want it to be over with,” Albus groaned.

 

Lavender giggled and ran her eyes over him. “You look rather authentic today,”

 

Albus wanted to crawl into a hole. “What's that supposed to mean?”

 

“I don't know...you seem very _you_.” Lavender said sweetly.

 

Scorpious's face darkened.

 

Albus said awkwardly. “Thanks, Lav.”

 

“I wish that I could be confident enough to wear something so daring but it took _hours_ for my sisters to get ready and I had to rush.” Lavender said with a sigh of disappointment. Albus wondered what she would have worn instead because he thought that she was beautiful either way and he must have said as much because her cheeks flamed. Scorpious shot him a furious glare and Albus thought about running to his mother for protection, “we would have been here a lot sooner but the twins let out a baby dragon in the garden, Miranda had a mini meltdown because her nail broke at a weird angle and Nora got into a huge row with Mum when she announced that she was _never_ getting married.”

 

“Sounds like you had a wild morning,” Albus laughed.

 

“It was a _nightmare_ ,” Lavender said with brutal honesty.

 

Albus grinned. “Well, you look really pretty today.”

 

Lavender glowed, smiling bashfully. “Do you think so? My mum said it was too plain,”

 

“No, you look nice.” Albus assured, meaning it.

 

Scorpious coughed into his fist.

 

Lavender glanced at him apprehensively. “...Hullo, Scorpious.”

 

“Hey, uhm...” Scorpious responded lamely.

 

Albus saw the girl look away from him hastily. “Her name is Lavender, Scorp.”

 

“I know that!” Scorpious snapped.

 

Lavender laughed and the sound was enough to make Scorpious's irritation vanish immediately and he made a tentative step towards her. She moved back, “It's...it's really good to see you both.” Her voice was quavering slightly and Albus knew that something was seriously wrong with his two friends and had no idea what to do in order to fix it. A firework exploded over their heads and she looked up in surprise as a riot of pink flowers fell to the ground like bits of snow, “I really hate that we haven't had much time to spend together lately.”

 

Scorpious had hardly noticed the fireworks and although Albus felt stupid for staring, he couldn't help but notice that his friend's face was slowly flooding with color. The warmth in his eyes was nearly too much and he looked hastily away, desperate to pretend that this wasn't happening, “There was actually some other news that I thought you two would like to know.” Lavender murmured and Albus got a funny feeling in his chest that wasn't at all pleasant, “my father visited the other day and he wanted to know if...if I would like to move back to India with him.”

 

Albus knew that her father was a very influential man and worth millions but he had never been very prominent in Lavender's life until recently. They had managed to bridge the gap between them in the past few years and he had been glad to see them becoming so close but he wanted to burst into tears at this horrible news, “In...India? You _can't_!” Scorpious cried brokenly, unleashing the harsh words that had become stuck in Albus's throat. Lavender's face crinkled with worry, “what about finishing our last year together like we always promised and traveling the world?”

 

Lavender had proposed the idea of traveling across the globe several years ago when the three of them had had a rather tumultuous year. The three of them had instantly become determined to attend fierce Quidditch games, explore unknown lands and find dangerous beasts. It had been their dream but it was vanishing right before his eyes, “We already had it all planned out, Lav.” Albus found himself saying in a voice that didn't sound like his own. He wanted to pretend that this wasn't happening so badly that he almost prayed that God could snatch back time, “We all marked a place on a map that we wanted to go to first.”

 

“Greece,” Scorpious whispered.

 

“China,” Albus added lamely.

 

Lavender's eyes watered and she swallowed roughly. “Egypt,”

 

Scorpious's voice was tremulous. “You _can't_ leave.”

 

“We wouldn't last a day without you, you know.” Albus said truthfully.

 

Lavender let out a weak laugh and for a moment she appeared so out of their reach that Albus found it startling that she didn't simply vanish before their eyes. Scorpious reached out to touch her but she was unable to take his hand, “Boys, listen to me—”

 

“What about....what about me, Lav?” Scorpious blurted.

 

“Er, what?” Albus croaked.

 

Lavender's face turned scarlet. “Th-this has nothing to do with...with _that_.”

 

“Why else would you suddenly want to leave?” Scorpious asked, devastated.

 

Lavender's brown eyes flashed and Albus sensed that they _had_ fought but wondered why Scorpious had lied. “This _isn't_ about you,” the girl murmured.

 

“Have you even thought about what I asked?” Scorpious demanded, taking her hand.

 

Lavender's fingers closed around his briefly. “ _No_ , Scorpious.”

 

“Lav, just let me explain—” Scorpious pleaded.

 

“We already talked about this. I won't put myself through it! I'm sorry,” Lavender replied brokenly as she pulled her hand away and fled, taking a bit of sunshine with her. Albus watched her go, overwhelmed by heartache and loneliness.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for stopping by chapter two! Hope you enjoyed it and had a good laugh.


	3. A Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus and Scorpious talk and he begins to realize that there are worse things than smelly dress robes.

Albus felt as if the earth were crumbling beneath his feet and he expected his entire body to vanish in a matter of seconds. Lavender's slender figure had vanished in the blistering heat like a fallen star but her departure had left him with an almost physical ache, he had always assumed that no matter what might happen, the three of them would be together forever. “I don't think we'd be able to function without her, Scorp.” He found himself saying with an awkward smile, glancing at his best friend with an expression that he hoped wasn't as hideous as it felt. “I never thought that her dad would actually try to get her to move back to India with him and I wish that I could be happy about it but I really don't want to see her go.”

 

Scorpious grunted in response and it was difficult to comprehend what was going through his mind at that moment. He was still staring after Lavender and although Albus wasn't sure what may have been going on between them, the pain on his friend's face was almost too much. “She didn't even grow up with the bastard and now she just wants to _leave_ with him?” the boy grumbled heatedly, voicing out another ugly thought that he hadn't wanted to say. Lavender's father was incredibly wealthy and they had gotten a lot closer these past few years but Albus felt selfish for thinking of the man like some kind of kidnapper just because he didn't want her to leave.

 

“The two of them have been spending a lot of time together and I know that he cares about Lavender a lot.” Albus tried to say diplomatically, though Scorpious shot him a vicious glare. Lavender's father had a gentle soul and although neither of them knew why he hadn't stayed with her mother, he had tried his hardest to make up for his absence in her life. “I'm pretty sure that there's a reason why Lav might want to go, she probably wants to see new things and even though I don't want her to, I don't think I'm in any position to make her _stay_ , I mean...”

 

Scorpious's grey eyes flared. “How can you say that?!”

 

Albus flinched. “I'm just saying—”

 

“She's our friend!” Scorpious interjected, his voice rising.

 

Albus felt that he wanted to say more. “I know that and she always _will_ be but—”

 

“Then how can you just stand there and be okay with her going away?” Scorpious demanded angrily.

 

Albus swallowed roughly, his head spinning. “Maybe her dad just wants to know her better—”

 

“He doesn't have to take her away from me if that were true!” Scorpious cried heatedly.

 

The silence that fell was worse than the collapse of the world and Albus stared dumbfounded at his best friend, wondering how to make sense of his outburst. Scorpious's grey eyes were like fierce pinpricks of lightning and he opened his mouth but closed it at the last second, jerking his gaze away as a hot blush scattered across the high planes of his cheeks. Albus had always known that his friend's feelings for Lavender were far more complex than he could understand but he found himself experiencing an unwelcome sting of jealousy. There was no girl in his life that he could ever become so crazy over and it was depressing.

 

The serene beauty of their surroundings seemed to have lost all color and Albus had the curious image of them standing at a crossroads, with no discernible future. His smelly dress robes were driving him mad and he had a trail of sweat going between places the sun would never shine but for the first time, he couldn't really give a damn. “I don't know if I have any right to ask but uhm, what's going on with you two?”

 

“That's none of your business.” Scorpious bit out.

 

“Maybe if you talk to me about it—” Albus started.

 

Scorpious's voice was cold. “I don't want to talk about it with _you_.”

 

Albus felt himself stiffening with anger. “Why the hell not?”

 

Scorpious's skin was paler than death and his grey eyes were unfocused but he snapped out of his mind long enough to frown at him. Albus blinked in surprise, he was upset by Lavender's announcement too but he didn't understand why his friend appeared so angry with _him_ , “Because it's obvious that you two will be just bloody fine when she leaves.” Scorpious sneered nastily. There was something in his tone that made Albus want to hit him but he had grown accustomed to his moods and forced himself to stay patient, “you two looked awfully chummy.” His friend drawled, crossing his arms. “I don't even know why I bothered to say anything.”

 

“What's that supposed to mean?” Albus asked annoyingly.

 

Scorpious's eyes were sparking. “All the hugging and _giggling_ ,”

 

“Lavender's _always_ like that.” Albus pointed out dryly.

 

“I wasn't _talking_ about Lavender!” Scorpious accused hotly.

 

Albus frowned irritably. “Then what the hell _are_ you talking about?”

 

Scorpious shot him a fierce glare and for a moment the scar that traced across his face appeared more menacing than ever. Albus thought that he resembled some tormented warlord and watched as he undid the leather strap containing his hair, releasing the shaggy blonde strands until they tumbled over his shoulders with all the finesse of silk. Despite being really annoyed with his friend, Albus wondered how he always managed to look so cool, “I'm talking about how _you_ were acting with her. We both figured out a long time ago that Lavender's made out of starlight or something.” Scorpious muttered after tossing the leather strap onto the ground with a curse.

 

Albus stumbled back as if a Bludger had smacked him in the face like that time back in second year but this was somehow far worse than that. The heat and festive atmosphere around them felt tainted with the words but he forced himself to reign in his rising anger. “How was I _supposed_ to act with her? I hadn't seen her in ages and only got one letter this summer.” He had a flurry of thoughts throbbing in his skull and the part of him that was too smart for his own good debated that his friend was actually, stupidly jealous.

 

Scorpious's flushed face was stony with suspicion and he opened his mouth to unleash a hailstorm of even more stupidity before stopping himself at the last minute. A firework exploded faintly over their heads and Albus glanced up long enough to see more flower petals fluttering to the ground but he was no longer amused by the display. “I get that but you could have tried to reel it in or something, it was like the two of you were in your own little world for a few minutes.” Albus wasn't sure how his face remained blank, “I haven't seen her since last week and with everything that happened, I didn't think that she would just _forgive_ me or anything but it hurt to see her so happy with you when she couldn't even look me in the eye.”

 

“How is that my fault?” Albus asked in disbelief.

 

Scorpious's pale cheeks turned red. “Lav used to have a huge crush on you!”

 

Albus spluttered dumbly. “That was years ago—”

 

“You said that you never felt the same way,” Scorpious remarked coolly.

 

Albus nearly tore his hair out. “I _don't_!”

 

Scorpious's eyes darkened. “Then why were you hugging all over her like that?”

 

Albus frowned severely. “I was just happy to see her!”

 

Scorpious's voice was icy with envy. “Do you have a crush on her, Albus?”

 

“Lav is like my sister, you git!” Albus snapped angrily.

 

Scorpious grumbled moodily. “You'd better be sure of that—”

 

Albus's temper shattered. “Have you lost your damn mind?!”

 

A heavy silence fell between them and Albus had the strangest feeling that they were on a rocking ship bound for nowhere. He would have given anything for this not to be happening but he cared about his friends too much and didn't think he had the power to ever turn away from them, “Scorp, why don't you just tell me what's going on between you guys? I don't like not being able to help and we've never kept secrets from each other like this.” He sighed wearily and tossed his irritation aside for the better good and hoped that it wouldn't end up biting him in the arse like Bubba, the man-eating chipmunk. “I could tell that something was really bothering Lav and the way she ran off a few minutes ago has me kinda worried.”

 

Scorpious's grey eyes hooded and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking but he could tell that his friend was in a lot of pain. Albus worried that this problem would be something that neither of them could patch up and he felt a bite of fear that was worse than being offered Aunt Hermione's green bean casserole. “It's all my fault, Albus. When she came to visit me at the Manor the other day, it wasn't just to help me study.” Albus's jaw fell open and his friend hastily explained, “it wasn't like that! I told Lav that if she helped me with my Transfiguration homework that I would teach her how to dance, is all.”

 

Albus clutched his heart in relief and knew that his face must have been a mixture of mortification and denial. He hadn't wanted to believe that his two best friends were rolling around in satin sheets (He had a feeling that they would be rose scented as well) and was supremely thankful, “I didn't know that Lav couldn't dance.” He finally said after Scorpious had given him a droll stare. “Now that I think about it though, I can't remember if I've ever _seen_ her dance before.” When there had been a ball at the school a few years ago, Lavender had conveniently vanished and they had found her several hours later reading a Charms book in the kitchens.

 

“Lav is a terrible dancer, it's like watching spastic kelp.” Scorpious informed, shuddering.

 

Albus cringed, instantly thinking of his Aunt Angie. “That bad, huh?”

 

Scorpious nodded and ran a hand over his hair and the strands seemed to glint like polished silver in the bright light. Albus felt like a bloated rat in comparison but he was thankful that the anger his friend had been feeding on had faded somewhat, “It's really, _really_ awful. Lav was worried that she was going to embarrass herself at the wedding so I said that I would help her out.” Albus blinked in surprise, he had had no idea that Scorpious could dance at all. “My mum made me take lessons when I was a kid, she said that Benjamin was never interested in that sort of thing and because I turned out to be pretty good at waltzing, I decided to teach Lav.” Scorpious informed as he glanced around apprehensively just in case someone were listening.

 

The grounds were still incredibly crowded but no one had come through this way in a while, which was the only stroke of luck that Albus had had so far today. He was pretty sure that most of the guests were ogling that monstrous tent and he knew that his nosy relatives were probably trying to figure out when Mr. Malfoy would be arriving. Albus sighed wearily and kicked at a loose patch of dirt on the ground, wishing that he could cover himself in it and have an excuse to change clothes, “I didn't know that you could waltz.” He found himself grinning. Scorpious shot him a warning look, “Merlin, I bet you would lose your cool image if people found out.”

 

“You _wouldn't_ ,” Scorpious gasped, outraged.

 

Albus rubbed his hands together menacingly. “I could, if I wanted.”

 

Scorpious's lips twitched before staring moodily over his shoulder and Albus noticed that a few people were glancing in their direction curiously. He thought that they were too afraid to be anywhere near his friend's foul mood right now and he couldn't really blame them, “Ben hasn't let me forget it either and has a picture of me dancing with a broom in his wallet.” That had him roaring with laughter and he was satisfied to see his friend smile for the first time. It made the gruesome scar on his face nearly vanish entirely, “Lav thought it was funny too and didn't believe that I knew how to waltz but Benjamin, that prat ended up showing her the picture and Emily forced me to dance with her.” Scorpious was saying with a scowl.

 

Benjamin Malfoy was a very devoted older brother but Albus knew from being around the creature for a while that he also loved tormenting Scorpious. He was slightly better than James but that didn't mean much when his own brother admired the git and sought his guidance, “I would have paid money to see that.” Albus laughed, unable to help himself. Emily Malfoy was the most impatient person he had ever come across and he couldn't imagine her being willing to waltz but pushed the hilarious image from his mind to say, “if Lav came over to help you study and get some dance tips, why are you two acting so weird with each other?” he asked carefully.

 

Scorpious ran his fingers through his hair and was silent for so long that Albus began to dread what the answer would be. Did they do naughty things? Albus blanched, he didn't really know much about _that_ but he was pretty sure that you weren't supposed to look so miserable afterward. “If I hadn't kissed her, we would have been perfectly all right.” Scorpious finally said and although that wasn't the answer that he had been expecting, he was relieved and clutched his pounding chest as if he were on the verge of a heart attack. “We were just dancing and I got my head all mixed up like an idiot.”

 

“Are you, uhm really bad at it or something?” Albus asked him cautiously.

 

Scorpious scoffed, cheeks flaming. “I'm pretty good at it!”

 

Albus wiped the sweat from his brow and was aware of how awkward the conversation was becoming, he didn't have any experience when it came to kisses. A mermaid had kissed him once during his third year when he had been drowning in order to save his life, filling his lungs with her breath in order to keep him alive until he could be taken back to shore. It figured that the only girl who had ever kissed him wasn't even human, “So, erm what went wrong?” Albus asked. “How did you end up getting your head all mixed up?”

 

“I never thought that I would get the chance to hold her that way, I've _always_ wanted to but I could tell that she never felt the same about me.” Scorpious explained in a rush, his face pink. Albus wanted to pretend that this wasn't happening so badly that he closed his eyes for a few painful seconds but it did little good and he ended up hearing his friend's next words. “That's what I convinced myself, anyway but Lavender was being weird the entire day. I teased her about how shy she was acting and she just turned so _pink_.” He grinned faintly and Albus stared at him in bemused curiosity. “I asked if she was nervous about being alone with me and you should have seen the way she flailed around, I almost got smacked in the eye.”

 

Albus felt his lips twitching with a smile but it faded quickly as he tried to think if Lavender's behavior had changed around Scorpious these past few months. There had been nothing unusual that had stood out to him, aside from a few thoughtful glances but he felt a twinge as he recalled that they _had_ spent a lot of time together alone last year. He had felt lonely without them and whenever he had asked where they had gone or what they were up to, Scorpious's guarded expression had always made him feel like he was intruding. Lavender had remained a delightful mystery but there had been a subtle disconnect between the three of them that he had been too reluctant to explore, which only made him feel lonelier as he put the pieces together.

 

“What's the matter?” Scorpious asked worriedly, noticing his expression.

 

“Huh? Oh, it's nothing.” Albus said hastily, forcing a smile.

 

Scorpious didn't seem to believe him. “If you say so,”

 

“So, what happened to make you lose your head with Lav?” Albus asked quickly.

 

Scorpious eyed him suspiciously but he didn't press the issue and it was obvious that he would bring up the subject again later in the day. “The dancing was going well, Lav didn't mess up much and I was just _holding_ her and the smell of her hair was so nice—you don't have to look like you're about to throw up or something, prat!” he barked when Albus's face turned green. Scorpious stuffed his hands into his robe pockets, “I don't expect you to understand.”

 

That stung and Albus fought against the tide of unpleasant emotions churning in his stomach, the odd swirl of envy clinging to his intestines. He had had crushes before and although they had never worked in the end, he _did_ understand how completely absorbing it was to be near the person you cared for the most. “I'm sorry, Scorp but hearing you saying this sort of mushy thing about Lavender is kind of like watching my parents make googly eyes at one another.” Scorpious burst out laughing, “I understand that you care about her a lot but Lav's like my sister and it's just...” he shuddered visibly to emphasize his point.

 

“Yeah, I'd feel the same if you kissed my sister.” Scorpious chortled, amused.

 

Albus's stomach squirmed with distaste. “Did Lavender not like the way you uhm, kissed?”

 

Scorpious's smile dropped. “I think she did but—”

 

“Did you slobber all over her?” Albus asked, recoiling.

 

Scorpious's grey eyes flared. “No!”

 

“Well, how did Lavender react?” Albus asked doubtfully.

 

Scorpious smiled wistfully. “She kissed me back.”

 

Albus gawped in astonishment. “You must not be that bad at it then—”

 

“I'll kiss _you_ if you don't shut up.” Scorpious threatened heatedly.

 

Albus balked and made the sign of the cross, which only caused his friend to roar with laughter and the tension between them lightened considerably. The commotion around them seemed to become nothing more than a low hum and he wiped the sweat from his brow, hoping that he wouldn't expire in the next few minutes. “Okay, so what I've got so far is that you taught Lavender how to waltz in exchange for helping you study and during the middle of it, you kissed her.” His voice was wry as he tried to make sense of what might have gone wrong. “I don't know anything about waltzing but you must be a _really_ good teacher.”

 

“Lavender didn't kiss me out of gratitude, prat.” Scorpious grumbled.

 

“That's not what I meant!” Albus defended, rolling his eyes.

 

Scorpious nodded and shot him an apologetic glance that only made Albus wonder if being eaten by the man-eating chipmunk, Bubba would be easier. “Sorry, it's just that I'm still kind of upset about what we fought about.” He muttered as he ran his fingers through his blonde hair wearily. The heat was making them both cranky but Albus remained where he was, idly nudging at a garden gnome that waddled past in it's best clothes. It shook a tiny fist at him before disappearing behind a rose bush, “I lied to you and your parents earlier when I said we weren't fighting, I was just too embarrassed.” He didn't seem very proud of this, “I still don't even want to come to terms with it.”

 

Albus thought that it showed a lot about his character to admit this and he was proud of him, though he could understand why he hadn't wanted to talk about it. Conversations about love with his parents and siblings would have been more than a little humiliating, “I knew that something was wrong and I didn't want to believe that you two had fought about anything.” He still could hardly wrap his head around it and wondered if he had somehow stepped into the _Twilight Zone_ , “when I asked if you had fought with Lavender, you said not _exactly_ but you could have just told me the truth.”

 

“I know, Albus. I'm sorry—”

 

“Don't worry about it. Just tell me what happened,” Albus replied calmly.

 

Scorpious hesitated and seemed to drift away for several seconds, perhaps imagining that Lavender was still in his arms. Albus's stomach churned with envious wonder, “We were dancing and I let it all go to my head.” His friend whispered and he idly kicked at a patch of flowers that had the nerve to be in his way, the plants flying in all directions. “There was something about that entire moment that just made me think that there was a chance I'd have some good luck for a change, which is impossible for Misfits like us.” He gave a humorless laugh, “during the dance, I thought that maybe she could tell how I was feeling...”

 

“Couldn't you have just tried to hold it in or something?” Albus asked stupidly.

 

Romance was a mystery that Albus would never been able to solve and he had desperately read a few of Lily's novels for instruction. There was a lot of swooning and hasty bodice ripping in those stories and he was pretty sure that his chest would never be that hairy, “I've been keeping all of my feelings bottled up for years and I've _tried_ dating other girls but I'm tired of pretending that they're her.” His friend exclaimed in a tone that spoke of how tense his emotions were. “I don't want anyone else and I've held onto this hope that maybe, just _maybe_ she could see me and want me back.”

 

Albus felt himself sinking into sadness, though it wasn't his own and he was overwhelmed by how their lives were tied together. The three of them were separate people but it was at times like these that they really did appear like one breathing entity, “I'm sure that if you talked to Lav about how you've always felt about her, she would try to understand, Scorpious.” His best friend scoffed and he suspected that it certainly wasn't so easy confessing your love for someone. “If Lavender kissed you back and you felt like everything was going okay, what could have gone wrong?” he asked after wiping a hand across his sweaty forehead, knowing that not all of the puzzle was complete.

 

Scorpious's face began to burn. “I asked her to go out with me,”

 

Albus was impressed. “You actually just blurted it all out?”

 

Scorpious's face was contorted with self-loathing and longing, his body going rigid like an oak tree that had suddenly been uprooted. He seemed on the verge of exploding and Albus glanced around to make sure that there wouldn't be any victims besides himself if it happened, “I'm not sure what I thought was going to happen but Lavender just stared at me like I had lost my mind. It was like she had floated out of her body or something.” He muttered with a frown, his cheeks glowing. “I wanted to take the words back almost immediately because I've always been scared of what she would say but there was no way that I could deny how I felt.”

 

Albus asked carefully. “Did Lavender say anything?”

 

Scorpious nodded stiffly. “She asked if I were being truly honest with her.”

 

“Why?” Albus asked, worried.

 

Scorpious appeared to have difficulty answering the question and Albus knew that he would always be somewhat apprehensive about revealing so much of himself. It had taken them years to peel away the protective layers around one another but there would always be moments like these that reminded him that they didn't know everything about each other. “Lavender said that she wanted to believe me more than anything in the world but she had seen the way my previous girlfriends ended up. They loved me more than I'd _ever_ love them and they were always left heartbroken,” he said with a faint edge of guilt in his voice that was terrible to hear. “I said that she was the only one, the _only_ one that mattered to me and I told her...”

 

Albus felt his chest tighten with dread. “You told her what?”

 

“I told her that I'd end things with my girlfriend and _that's_ when everything went wrong.” Scorpious's voice was laced with turmoil and Albus finally understood what had caused a rift between them, staring at the boy as if he wanted to punch him. Scorpious eyed him warily, reading his mind, “Lavender didn't hit me but she just _stared_ at me and burst into tears.”

 

“You made Lavender _cry_?!” Albus demanded, furious.

 

Scorpious flinched and ran his fingers through his blonde hair and tugged on the locks until they looked like they might be pulled from his scalp. “I didn't _mean_ to, Albus! I explained that I had every intention of breaking up with my girlfriend sooner but Lavender told me that if it were so bloody easy for me to forget about the person I was with just to snog someone else then she would have been pretty stupid to date me.”

 

Albus tried to fight the coil of anger that rippled through him and thought that Scorpious was lucky that he valued their friendship so much. “I don't have any experience with this stuff, Scorp but you shouldn't have made a move on Lav until you had broken up with your girlfriend first. ” He gritted out while he met his best friend's miserable expression unflinchingly. “I wouldn't really blame her for assuming that you'd played all of your ex-girlfriends and you certainly didn't help yourself win any favors with _either_ girl.” He found himself reminding hotly, knowing that the boy's girlfriend had most likely ended up just as hurt.

 

Scorpious's face turned brilliantly red and it was hard to tell if he were on the verge of shattering but he somehow managed to keep a lid on his temper. Albus watched as he shot him a withering glance before something seemed to calm him down enough for him to sigh regretfully, “Everything was falling apart and I just tried to explain that she was the only one that I had ever wanted but the words got all mixed up.” He chewed on his lower lip. “Instead of all that coming out the way I wanted, I ended up yelling at her and asking if she would be embarrassed to be with someone like me.” His fingertips reached up to trace his gruesomely hideous scar, “a freak like me.”

 

“Lavender would _never_ think something like that—”

 

“I know, she's not like the others.” Scorpious interrupted with a sigh.

 

Albus felt a prickle of unease. “What do you mean?”

 

Scorpious's lips turned up in a bitter smile and he ran his fingertip along his scar as if he were tracing it with far more tenderness than it deserved. “Most people know about how I almost died and why I have this scar but the girls that I dated were never interested in me.” His voice was filled with cynicism and a hint of self-consciousness that Albus had never really seen before, “I'm just something that they liked showing off to their friends.”

 

Albus was stunned. “I had no idea, Scorp.”

 

“I didn't want to talk about it and have you worrying about me.” Scorpious replied awkwardly, unable to meet his eyes. Albus thought that he looked so different from him that he probably could have been from a foreign planet, “Lavender probably just overheard them talking about me after we broke up, it's hard for me to believe that they were in love with me.” He laughed bitterly. “Every single one of them liked to parade me around, their friends _begging_ to know if the three of us were making it up about how Louis and those group of nutters almost sacrificed me like a bloody lamb.”

 

A boy named Louis McNair had appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary Prefect during their first year but he had willingly become involved with a dangerous cult. Albus knew that there was still much debate about this particular detail but by the time they were finally caught, the fanatical group had been responsible for at least five murders. The cult had worshiped Voldemort's vile beliefs, convinced that he could be brought back once again by performing an evil spell with the flesh and blood of Death Eater children.

 

Lucius Malfoy had believed that Scorpious was chosen by Voldemort himself long before he was born to become their “prince”, destined to bring purebloods back to power. A few of the members had been former Death Eaters, including Louis McNair father, who had contacted the group and given them the idea that Scorpious would be the perfect vessel. Albus knew that it was madness to even consider this but he bleakly recalled how eager Louis had been to belong and understood now that the large group had planned on using his friend's remains to perform the ultimate sin.

 

Scorpious would have been killed and Voldemort's soul would have supposedly come back to slip into the boy's lifeless remains. Louis had desperately wanted to belong and had kidnapped Scorpious in the middle of the night like a deranged beast, dragging him to the Forbidden Forest. The protective wards that were enabled to keep them all safe had been steadily broken down, making it easier for the small group to stealthily invade the grounds without being detected by the staff.

 

Albus had managed to solve the mystery with Lavender, Rose and Sue Corner's help but the truth had a way of making the world out to be a bleak place. By the time their group put the pieces together, it was nearly too late but it had been impossible to erase the impending horror from their minds and they had rushed into the Forest after their friend, determined to rescue him and fight for his life. Albus had never felt such urgency in his life and he knew that if he had been given a chance to turn back, he would have made the same decision.

 

He had never experienced such terror and he knew that there was nothing in the world that would have stopped him from going into that dark place and fighting off a small army if it meant saving one of his friends. Albus could still remember the taste of rancid fear in his mouth and the tremor that had been in Lavender's hand as they had rushed through the thick mass of trees, following the sound of eerie voices that still lingered in the back of his mind.

 

The night had unraveled with unimaginable horror and Albus couldn't believe that they had survived it, though his nightmares reminded him that the memory would always be there. The cult members had been more powerful than anything two small children should have been battling and the two of them would have died if Rose hadn't sent a distressing message to his father. Spells and screams had erupted in the night air as the Forest suddenly became flooded with fierce Aurors and a brave handful of school professors. Albus and Lavender had passed out during the vicious battle but he was certain that didn't need to know the gruesome details of that fight.

 

By the time Albus regained consciousness, he was thankful to discover that Scorpious had been spared but the evening had taken a toll on all three of them. He could still hear his friend's screams echoing in his ears and could see the terror in Lavender's brown eyes...the way Louis had fired an evil curse at her until she was wailing.

 

“ _Why are you doing this?” Albus had screamed at Louis._

 

_A maniacle smile had twisted the boy's features. “Because I can,” he had said._

 

They each carried their share of physical scars from the incident but while a few strands of Albus's hair had turned white, Scorpious had been left with the mark on his face. Albus's hair was so unruly that it was almost easy to forget about those white strands but every once in a while, he would seek them out in an attempt to remind himself that it hadn't all been an awful dream.

 

“You know how sensitive Lavender is, you shouldn't have said any of that stuff to her.” Albus gritted in a furious tone. He had delved into the past for too long and he wasn't surprised to see the anxious look flash over Scorpious's face, he was the only person who understood where he went and how scary the nights were. “She's like...like pure magic and hurting her makes you the biggest loser in the world. Do you know that?”

 

“I _know_ that! Do you think I don't understand what I did?!” Scorpious accused furiously.

 

Albus scoffed. “That didn't stop you from saying all that stupid shit!”

 

Scorpious's eyes darkened with rage and Albus knew that he had gone too far, that something might be broken between them. “It's this _scar_...you don't know what it's like. Kids scream when I walk up and to even think that a freak like me could have someone like Lav is ridiculous!” he let out an incredulous laugh that reminded Albus of a bark. “She's the most beautiful person in the world and I love her.” He reached up to trace his scar as it were mocking him, “what would that look like, Albus? Pure magic and an ugly monster?”

 

“Lavender's never been shallow and she would never think something like that, stop acting like you're the only one with your scars.” Albus snapped angrily. Lavender had an ugly burn on one of her arms but he had always thought Scorpious would be the one who would never really recover, even though the three of them had spent four weeks in St. Mungo's.

 

“I didn't mean it like that,” Scorpious started, flushing with guilt. “Louis McNair is spending the rest of his life in a mental institution for what he did to us but we're the ones left thinking about him.” His lips pulled down in an agonized frown, “I heard my parents arguing about all that today too, after they were done fighting about my grandparents.” He sighed heavily, “Mum accused my dad of all this stupid shit that wasn't in his control and I thought about how nice it must be for you and Lav to not have to worry about that sort of thing.”

 

Albus frowned, puzzled. “My family is _far_ from perfect and neither is Lavender's.”

Scorpious shot him an envious glance before focusing his gaze on nothing in particular. “Your family is normal, Albus.” Albus opened his mouth to remind him that one of his aunts had been a stripper and his uncle a wanted man but stopped himself. “They have normal problems and I've never known what that means. Louis and those cult members wanted to kill me because of some prophecy my grandfather just had to believe in, like I was destined to die.”

 

“Don't say something like that—”

 

“I've got bad blood, Albus.” Scorpious interrupted darkly.

 

Albus was unsure if he wanted to cry or shake Scorpious senseless but he felt his pain, like a hard blow to his own heart. It was the most awful thing in the world and he hated it. “There's nothing wrong with you, Scorpious! The things that your family did in the past don't make up who you are, Lavender and I have been through hell and even literal _shit_ for you!” he snapped. “If there's anyone in the world who I know deserves to be loved, it's you and Lavender is just the sort of...of _whatever_ the heck she is, to be able to do that.”

 

“Don't say shit like that! People will think you're in love with me.” Scorpious spluttered, blushing.

 

“You know you're not my type.” Albus said flatly.

 

Scorpious snorted. “If you never get a girlfriend, I will be.”

 

Albus forced himself not to laugh. “Stop being a prick and be honest with me.”

 

“I don't know why I said that she would be embarrassed to be with me after what we've been through but the words just came out before I could stop them.” Scorpious muttered, appearing embarrassed by the heartfelt confession. His friend hesitated before continuing, “I've never _seen_ Lavender so mad, I thought she was going to hit me but she just gathered up all her stuff and ran out.”

 

“Why didn't you just tell me?” Albus asked, hurt.

 

Scorpious avoided his eyes for several seconds and it seemed to take ages for the blush in his cheeks to fade. Albus suspected that he had wanted to keep his secret carefully hidden and he allowed a moment of silence to fall between them before Scorpious finally admitted, “I wanted to let you know what had happened but I would have ended up feeling even more like an arse.” His mouth twisted unpleasantly at his own words before he concluded wryly, “no matter how hard I try, I can't be the perfect, goofy bloke like you.”

 

“I'm nowhere near perfect, I thought you knew me better than that by now but you don't have to act like _all_ hope is lost.” Albus's voice was a mixture of confusion, kindness and concern. The fury that he had felt was dissipating and he found himself crossing the space between them and pulling his friend into a brief hug. Scorpious rested his head on his shoulder for the shortest moment before Albus released him and hoped that no one had taken a picture, though he could hear the people nearby giggling and saying that they made such a cute couple.

 

“Shut up!” Scorpious shouted.

 

Albus felt his ears burning. “Those rumors about us dating just got worse,”

 

Scorpious shot him a shrewd glance. “Who says we're not? We're practically married.”

 

“You know, that isn't helping.” Albus groaned and he briefly wondered if James would be buying him a wedding gown the next time they went shopping in Diagon Alley. He would probably look terrible in a traditional lace trimmed—what the hell was he thinking? “Sometimes I think the two of us are too odd for our own good.”

 

“You just _now_ figured that out?” Scorpious asked sarcastically.

 

Albus rolled his eyes. “We may as well just get married,”

 

Scorpious grumbled. “I'd make a bloody awful husband.”

 

Albus pushed the thoughts of wedding gowns and his brother's satisfied smirk from his mind before he sent his friend a sobering look. “I wouldn't want you to change who you are for anyone. Look, I'm not really mad at you about what you did with Lavender anymore but you need to make things clear to her before you miss your chance.”

 

Scorpious's cheeks were burning and he shot a vicious glance at a few guests that milled past, some of them going so far as to waggle their eyebrows at them. “I don't know how I can even get Lav to _look_ at me but I won't give up.” There was a fierce conviction in his tone that made Albus smile broadly and he thumped his friend's ear playfully, “I know that I'm a bastard sometimes and it's a miracle that I haven't driven you crazier.” His eyes softened and when he smiled, it cleared away the murky feelings between them like rain.

 

“I think the damage has been done,” Albus laughed.

 

Scorpious punched him in the arm. “Misfits to the bloody, gruesome end?”

 

“Misfits to the bloody, gruesome end.” Albus nodded, returning the blow.

 

Scorpious smiled brightly and it was one of those rare moments when it was impossible to see that he had suffered at all. Albus knew that there would always be a heavily guarded part to his friend that he would never quite understand but it was the price of growing up, “I'm grateful for you and Lav. I don't tell you guys that enough but it's true.”

 

“Marry me, Scorpious.” Albus simpered, giggling.

 

Scorpious roared with laughter. “Hell, no. You'd look awful in a traditional gown,”

 

Albus shuddered before saying seriously. “Let's never fight like that again. Okay?”

 

Scorpious nodded and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Done. Let's head towards that monstrous tent and get this wedding over with.” He sighed heavily as they started walking, their loping strides as familiar as a heartbeat. “My grandparents may still show up, Lavender hates me and I'm going to have to see my older brother snogging Roxanne for the rest of my life.” Albus laughed at the expression on his face, “how much worse could the day get?” It was an ominous thing to say when they were known to cause trouble but for the moment, that hardly mattered.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'll try to post more chapters whenever my writer's block goes away and if more people are interested in more.


	4. A Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus and his moody blonde friend are joined by Rose Weasley and a mysterious companion.

The sound of approaching footsteps stopped the boys from saying much more and Albus turned around just in time to spot his cousin, Rose Weasley heading towards them. Scorpious's upper lip curled at the sight of the girl's red hair and the determined purpose in her stride, “You two look awfully pleased with yourselves.” Rose remarked with an amused smile that made her eyes twinkle. His favorite cousin was accompanied by a beautiful young woman in a brilliant red dress that Albus had never seen before and he felt his face flame, his mouth going dry at the sight of her. “I'm surprised that you haven't gotten into any trouble yet.”

 

Scorpious's expression was one of pure dislike and Albus thought that there were some things that were never going to change. The pair had loathed one another since they were eleven and although the fierce sparring between them had become less vicious, Albus doubted that they would ever be able to tolerate each other. “I guess you're going to blame us for the collapse of the human race too.” The boy replied with withering sarcasm. “I'm shocked, Weasley.” Rose and her gorgeous friend halted in front of them, exchanging a brief glance and radiating all of the mysterious, tantalizing things that they would never understand about women.

 

Rose's brown eyes rolled heavenward and Albus thought that there was a whimsical air around her that he had never seen before. Her ruffled green dress, gold heels and short hair made him think of a pretty pixie that he had seen in the Forbidden Forest, “I was only making a _joke_ , Malfoy but I see that you're just as charming as ever.” His cousin replied dryly. “Honestly, with your terrible track record, you can't blame anyone for thinking you're up to no good.”

 

“We're not _that_ bad.” Albus denied, frowning.

 

“What about that unicorn stampede in the Great Hall last year?” Rose demanded.

 

Scorpious asked idly. “Isn't being in a herd of unicorns every girl's dream?”

 

Rose's brown eyes widened. “No girl wants to be _trampled_ by unicorns!”

 

Albus corrected defensively. “Sally Creevey _almost_ got trampled—”

 

“What about that time Patil almost married that sexy centaur?” Rose interrupted, laughing.

 

Scorpious scowled. “We _barely_ stopped it in time,”

 

Albus's face became blank. “Lavender probably would have gone through with it too.”

 

Lavender was admittedly the weirder out of the Misfits but Albus worried that she might actually move away. He wouldn't know what to do with himself and he could only imagine the pain Scorpious would go through, it was clear from the wistful smile on his face right now that neither of them were prepared to ever say goodbye.

 

Rose glanced between them curiously and Albus had a feeling that she could sense that something was a bit off. “Where _is_ Patil?” His cousin asked with a slight frown. Lavender was someone that she liked but never quite understood and Albus supposed that was true for everyone, “this is odd. I don't see her glowing anywhere.”

 

“Lav is uhm, probably already at the tent.” Albus hastily explained.

 

Rose appeared surprised. “Why didn't you two go with her?”

 

Scorpious's cheeks began to heat. “It's none of your business, okay?”

 

Albus shot him a weary glance. “Scorp—”

 

Rose's eyes sparked with annoyance. “What's got _your_ wand in a knot?”

 

“Mind your own business, Weasley.” Scorpious grumbled.

 

“Like you're _that_ important.” Rose snapped.

 

Albus intervened swiftly. “Can you two _try_ to get along?”

 

Scorpious's face was an expressionless mask and the two girls appeared annoyed, he could hear a nasty curse thundering in his friend's mind. The problem with Lavender was making him crankier than usual and his friend was near to bursting, “I noticed that you've dressed up for once and I _almost_ might have said that you look all right for once.” Scorpious said civily, adopting that arrogant smirk that made him resemble some haughty king.

 

“ _You're_ not exactly a prince, Malfoy!” Rose snarled, turning red.

 

“Not like I'd wake you from a hundred year sleep anyway,” Scorpious said, shrugging.

 

Albus nudged him roughly in the arm. “Knock it off!”

 

“I don't feel like being nice when Lav isn't here.” Scorpious muttered, scowling.

 

Albus shot him an irritable glance and was embarrassed that Rose's friend had witnessed the pair acting like children. He felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach as their eyes met and for the life of him, there was nothing in his vocabulary that might make him seem cool and he ended up staring at her like some kind of greasy beast.

 

“What the hell are you gawping like that for?” Rose's friend suddenly demanded.

 

Albus's entire body went cold with dawning horror.

 

He would know that snide voice even in his worst nightmares...

 

“It's not everyday that a hag turns into a princess, Corner.” Scorpious drawled.

 

Rose glowered at him furiously. “Way to be a _prat_ , Malfoy!”

 

Albus felt his jaw drop. “ _Sue_?”

 

“That's right, Potter. Even someone like _me_ can be pretty sometimes.” Sue Corner mocked with a little smile that didn't hide the embarrassed blush that was sweeping across her face. Albus had never even thought it was possible that there was this side to her and was stunned by his reaction.”You don't have to look so horrified, git!”

 

Albus recoiled visibly. “What Dark magic is this?”

 

“D-dark magic?!” Sue cried, punching his arm.

 

Scorpious swatted the girl away lazily while Albus tried to collect his thoughts, eyes bugging out of his skull as he took the girl in. Her long, glossy black hair bounced around her shoulders and she possessed an old world elegance that reminded Albus of confident, silent movie actresses that he had once seen as a child.

 

“I'm shocked too, I guess miracles are bound to happen.” Scorpious said, laughing.

 

Rose glared at him. “ _Honestly_ , Malfoy!”

 

Sue Corner had always been nothing more than a harping shrew and Albus could scarcely recall the last time she had acted like a human being. He had saved her life once when they had almost been eaten by a werewolf during their first year but if he had thought that they might become good friends afterward, he had been wrong.

 

Albus wasn't sure what it was about him that bothered the girl so much, Sue had just never liked him no matter what he did. He had tried to be polite but her attitude towards him had remained sour, “Uhm, are you _really_ Sue?” he asked stupidly.

 

Sue arched a perfect brow. “Of course it's me, idiot.”

 

“What kind of charm did you use to make yourself pretty, Corner?” Scorpious jeered.

 

Rose huffed. “Sue has _always_ been pretty!”

 

“In what universe?” Scorpious asked snidely.

 

Sue Corner ignored the bickering among their friends and stared at Albus as if she were disappointed in his behavior. The blush on her cheeks deepened while he struggled for something to say, despising that it was becoming more difficult as the girl nibbled nervously on her lower lip, “I've never really dressed up like this before so it doesn't surprise me that you didn't know who I was but that doesn't mean that I like being gawped at like some kind of side show freak.”

 

“I'm sorry!” Albus cried, cringing.

 

There was a surliness to Sue's tone that made it almost impossible to offer up an excuse and he had the funniest feeling that she had been looking forward to seeing him. They hardly saw one another over the summer and Albus felt a peculiar feeling his chest, “It took me all day to get ready and we haven't seen each other in a while but you're still the same goofy dork.”

 

Albus frowned and opened his mouth to unleash a hailstorm of insults but he noticed that there wasn't a jeering smile on the girl's face. She looked almost fond as she stared up at him and he felt his face flush with heat, “I could say the same about you, Corner.” He said without hostility, “you're still just as blunt as you've always been.” That made Sue grin widely and it was so dazzling that he could have sworn her aura made his eyes water, “I wasn't trying to stare or anything but you look really...” he fumbled for the right words, “different today.”

 

Sue's eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What's that supposed to mean?”

 

“I mean you seem very... _you_.” Albus replied unthinkingly.

 

“Your way with words is _astounding_ , Potter.” Sue said, unimpressed.

 

Albus thought that there was a hint of disappointment lingering around her that he couldn't explain and he wondered what she had expected him to say. He wanted to tell her that he thought she was gorgeous but his stomach clenched painfully at the truth and he settled for murmuring, “Wait, I didn't mean it like that.” Sue blinked in surprise and toyed anxiously with the shining diamond necklace around her neck with a frown, “I can't describe it but you just seem more like yourself than I've ever seen and I think it makes you look...amazing.”

 

The words were so heartfelt that they must have escaped from some secret part of Albus that he hadn't been aware of until now. Something bizarre was happening and he had no control, “Merlin, I think the heat is getting to you, mate.” Scorpious declared loudly, slapping a hand to his forehead in a desperate attempt to make up for the awkward silence that had fallen. Rose was giggling and nudging her friend playfully in the arm, “you must have some kind of powerful charm on you right now, Corner because it's really affecting him.”

 

“I'm _not_ using a charm, you prat!” Sue denied, blushing.

 

Scorpious's hand remained on Albus's forehead. “Then it _has_ to be the heat,”

 

Albus pushed his hand away and admitted. “I _could_ use a glass of lemonade or something,”

 

Rose grimaced as she took in his robes. “How are you not dying in that thing, Albus?”

 

“I'm parboiled, trust me.” Albus asked glumly, simmering.

 

“Well, Sue and I were headed towards Gran's house before spotting you two and I'm pretty sure that we can get something to snack on from the kitchen.” Rose suggested pragmatically. Albus hoped that none of their cousins were loitering around but he doubted that he would have such luck, “I don't think we'll be able to stay long because the ceremony is about to start in another hour.” She furrowed her brow and sighed, “my family was already running late because Hugo got into a huge row with our parents about a suit he wanted to wear.”

 

Albus snickered. “What's he wearing this time?”

 

Rose's face was blank. “Don't make me say it out loud,”

 

“Hopefully it's not that sequined leotard,” Scorpious said, grimacing.

 

Hugo Weasley was more than a little odd and Albus thought that was saying something when everyone knew that Aunt Audrey had an entire room dedicated to nude portraits. “We should get going, I would never forgive myself if I missed watching Roxanne walk down the aisle.” Rose was chirping excitedly, her brown eyes suddenly taking on a dreamy quality that made Scorpious gag, “she hasn't told anyone what the dress looks like, I can't _wait_ to see it!”

 

“Too bad you'll never get to wear a wedding gown, Weasley.” Scorpious said sadly.

 

Rose bared her teeth at him. “ _Shut up_!”

 

Albus rolled his eyes and headed towards their grandparent's house, grateful that it was a short distance away. It stood out like the chipped blocks in a child's toy box, “Malfoy seems to be rather snippy today, I notice that he acts really antsy whenever Patil isn't around.” Sue surprised him by commenting, easily matching his long strides.

 

“Well, we are _always_ together.” Albus defended with a shrug.

 

“That's why people think you're all the same person.” Sue retorted, displeased.

 

Albus wondered why she cared. “It's always been that way though.”

 

Rose and Scorpious were still too busy fighting to overhear them.

 

“It bothers me but I have to admit that you two just don't seem _right_ whenever you're apart.” There was something strange in Sue's tone that made it clear that she still didn't like Lavender much, “haven't you ever thought that you spend a little too much time with them, Potter?”

 

The question wasn't anything that Albus hadn't heard before but he found it difficult to explain just how strong his bond with his friends was. “I wouldn't be anyone if they were gone.” Albus answered calmly, hoping that his response wasn't strange. “I know that everyone thinks we're weird but they make me so happy, we've been through a lot together and they're the only two people in the world that accept me for who I am.”

 

“They're not the only ones,” Sue said softly and Albus was so stunned by the sincerity in her voice that he nearly tripped over a gnome hole. Scorpious roared with laughter but Sue grabbed his arm before he could fall and huffed primly, “you're so clumsy, Potter.”

 

Albus cursed the gnomes. “Not all the time,”

 

Sue shot him a pitying glance and Albus thought about all the times he had nearly died at Hogwarts and barely escaped with his life. “I think someone cursed you with clumsiness _and_ bad luck. It's no _wonder_ you're always colliding into everything back at school,” he forced himself not to point out that she had had a bad habit of pushing him down stairs as she tucked her arm through his, “you may as well walk close to me so that I can protect you.”

 

Albus grinned. “Thanks, I feel _much_ safer.”

 

The two of them fell into a comfortable banter that made the day seem much brighter than it had before and Albus nearly forgot about the bickering between his cousin and friend. A peculiar feeling spread in his heart and he thought that it was strange that he had rarely had moments like these with the girl, who had always gone out of her way to be standoffish.

 

Scorpious didn't seem too pleased by the sight of Sue getting along with him so well but Albus ignored his penetrating stare. Rose nudged his friend roughly in the arm for no reason and their bickering began all over again, “This is the first wedding that I've ever been to.” Sue admitted sheepishly, “I didn't think that it would be so...chaotic.”

 

Weasley weddings tended to spiral out of control before midnight and Albus felt a trickle of sweat slide down his neck. He tugged irritably at the lacy collar of his dress robes, “This is actually pretty quiet so far if you ignore the crowds.” Sue's eyes widened in alarm. “I mean, half of these people are probably not even related to us but I can't believe that this is the first wedding you've ever been to. I kinda feel like this might be too much for you,”

 

Sue laughed and Albus couldn't help but think that it was a very pretty sound and felt badly that he had never noticed before. “My family isn't really close and we don't see each other often.” There was a sad smile on her face, “I always imagined that we would all get together and at least...acknowledge that we were a family but its never happened.”

 

Albus knew that her mother had died when she was very young and she had lived with her father and step-mother for most of her life. He had only met Mr. Corner a handful of times but he had never met such an intimidating person before, aside from Zabini. “I'm sure that you'll get your chance but until then, you can always stop by whenever you want because my family is always using any excuse to be around each other.”

 

“I'll hold you to that, Potter.” Sue warned, eyes twinkling.

 

Albus forced himself not to giggle. “When are you going to call me Albus?”

 

Sue turned her nose up at him. “When you realize the truth.”

 

“The truth about what?” Albus asked, confused.

 

“If you have to ask then you still don't know.” Sue replied with a mysterious smile.

 

Albus wondered what she meant and imagined some dangerous test that included fighting dragons and

eating a plate of Aunt Hermione's green bean casserole. He would rather fight the dragon. “I'll figure it out before the day is over.” Albus vowed and Sue snorted doubtfully. “All right, keep your secrets. Did you come alone or did you bring your dad?”

 

“Dad would never take a day off and when I told him that your cousin was marrying Malfoy's eldest son, he flipped.” Sue had lowered her voice into a whisper but Albus could still hear her anger. “Dad has always been a competitive man, he's _always_ challenging everyone.” She sighed, “I remember that he's had a few arguments with Mr. Malfoy in the past about how the Magical Law Department should be run.”

 

Albus didn't think that living with such a controlling person would be easy and he could only imagine the debates that they had had. The imagine brought a smile to his face before he remembered that there were a few people at the wedding today who weren't happy about the Malfoy family, “So, what do you think about Benjamin and Roxanne?” he asked Sue carefully.

 

A furrow had settled between Sue's brows but it vanished almost immediately at the question and Albus was amused when she turned a bit pink. “They've been dating for _years_ and I don't think it's any of my business what they do with their lives so long as they're happy.” She said honestly, “Roxanne is a very sweet person and Malfoy's older brother is...well, there aren't enough words to adequately describe the kind of person _he_ is but I can tell he loves her.”

 

Albus was pleasantly surprised but couldn't help but recall the tantrum that Teddy Lupin had gotten into when Roxanne had announced her engagement to Benjamin. It had been a complete mess and Roxanne didn't speak to him for almost three months, “I wish Teddy and Fred thought that way.” Albus found the worry escaping before he could stop it, “I'm not really worried so much about Fred because he's just an overprotective brother but Teddy is another story.”

 

“Lupin is a prick.” Sue said bluntly.

 

Albus winced. “You're like a broad ax,”

 

Sue huffed. “I don't like wasting words,”

 

“That's a pretty impressive talent,” Albus complimented and that caused her to beam up at him as if he had said something truly amazing. He had to admit that he might have been too hard on her in the past and felt that strange fluttering of butterflies in his stomach, “Fred might come around eventually but I don't think he'll ever _like_ Benjamin.”

 

“Roxanne loves him and that's all that matters.” Sue responded with a firmness that made Albus curious about what spiraled in her mind. “Love isn't something that anyone has the right to take and maybe her brother and Lupin will realize that someday.” She pressed closer to him. “It's the only thing that holds a person together in the end.”

 

Albus had heard something similar from Zabini's wife when he had been young and stared down at her in surprise. They were never something that he would have assumed Sue Corner would ever say and it caused something to almost break open, “You're just full of surprises aren't you?” he asked, smiling at her in bemused amazement.

 

“You never wanted to know,” Sue said softly.

 

The two of them had reached his grandparent's home before Scorpious and Rose, lost in their own little world and for several seconds Albus forgot how to breathe. Sue was all there was that mattered but the was broken as the front door to his grandparent's house began to splinter, sparks flying in all directions like fireworks.

 

Albus barely had time to register the familiar sound of angry voices before the door was blown outward like a blast of dragon fire. He managed to grab Sue before they were thrown back, debris skyrocketing all around them as a thick plume of dust and screams erupted— _“Why do these things always happen to me?”_ Albus thought dimly while spots danced wildly in his eyes before his vision became swamped with black.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thanks for stopping by and stuff! This is one of the only stories that I have that features mostly humor instead of angst so please enjoy it while it lasts! Also, there might be a bit of fussing about Scorpius's name, which is basically just an homage to my horrible spelling.


End file.
